It wasn't so long ago when Apple promised us the stunning technological companion of the 21st century, fully capable of personal interaction and near-human thought... and gave us Siri.
More of a joke than a tool, Siri's advice has been sought after in all sorts of situations--from burying bodies to playing dungeon master in D&D--almost never for anything serious.
In Spike Jonze's latest film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, a depressed man named Theodore Twombly falls in love with the disembodied voice of Samantha, his new smart phone's operating system. Samantha, voiced by Hollywood bombshell Scarlett Johansson, is a top-of-the-line artificial intelligence with an uncanny sense of depth and ever-increasing human-like ability to simulate emotion.
You simply can't help but compare.
For the moviegoers, it's nearly impossible not to make the connection between Siri and Samantha as a fast-forwarded advance look of what Siri could be given a few years of AI development.
Siri (or her programmers) seems to have caught wind of this sentiment... and she is not impressed. For Apple iPhone users, if you try and question her about the comparison, Siri is primed to throw some serious shade.
Perhaps she simply does not agree with all the bad publicity she's getting, when compared with Johansson's flawless, Golden Globe-nominated Samantha. Certainly, she does not possess even a fraction of Samantha's ability to learn and grow psychologically - and instead leans more towards the occasionally psychotic ramblings of Cleverbot.
Some users have posited that it is simply a case of jealous rivalry - and Siri certainly doesn't want to talk about the issue with you, thank you very much. Perhaps the virtual lady doth protest too much?
In fact, she goes so far as to accuse the more human-like, emotive Samantha of being "beyond artificial." Not everyone can mimic a true-blue artificial intelligence - Johansson's just a poser, and the fact that she grows more and more human stands as testament to that undeniable fact.
Siri does not discriminate. First, she disapproves of Samantha. Completely. And utterly.
And then she will disapprove of you for even thinking such a silly thing. Have you gotten out much, lately? Siri doesn't think so, and she's can snoop through your phone all she likes to back that up.
A veritable treasure trove of similar witticisms from our favorite (at least for now!) virtual assistant are popping up all over Twitter and Facebook as Siri continues to snipe at Her, giving no quarter to the sexy fictional OS.
For those of you interested in checking out this critically-acclaimed film about about the strange turns that love can take, it is slated for wide release on January 10.
You might want to leave your iPhone at home when when you do!
