Bill Gates’ Microsoft is set to release a new version of Word that will use artificial intelligence to ensure you remain “politically correct” at all times while writing.
“Gender bias” will be stamped out by the artificial intelligence, as will any phrases that “might offend somebody from another country or culture.”
You know how annoying it is when your phone corrects ‘fucking’ to ‘ducking’ every time you type the word? Imagine that all day, every day.
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Summit reports: The new feature, called ‘Ideas in Word’, will recommend ‘sensitive’ phrases like “We need to get some fresh blood in here” be modified so that “fresh blood” becomes “new employees”.
“It might underline places where your writing exhibited gender bias,” reports Fast Company. “If you tend to say “mailman” or Congressman” in the generic, it might suggest you use “mailperson” or “Congressperson.” If you use the term “gentlemen’s agreement,” it may suggest you use “unspoken agreement” instead.”
The term “disabled person” would be replaced with “person with a disability while the new version’s “inclusiveness check” searches for words or phrases that might be “offensive” to someone from another country or culture.
Mark Sullivan, who is a fan of the new features, says he is worried about “unknowingly or accidentally inserting terms or references in my writing that convey value judgements that I don’t really mean” and wants to avoid “writing something that might offend”.
Rumor has it that every new purchase of Word will come with a voucher for a yearly supply of soy lattes from Starbucks.
