It appears that not only are non-Black people the culprits of freely using the N-word but so are technology devices.
What Happened?
Out of curiosity, TikToker @ohgustie tested her Google Home Mini speaker to confirm whether or not the word would be bleeped. To her appall, the device said it explicitly back to her following her requesting it to play Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “N-ggas in Paris.”
Listen in to the Google Home:
@ohgustie #stitch with @ohgustie google better pack her bags #andGO #googlehome #fyp #fypage #jayz ♬ Ni**as In Paris – JAY Z & Kanye West
Further exploring her theory of what is considered a “bad word” to Google’s tech, she also asked the device to play Doja Cat’s “Ain’t Sh-t” and A$AP Rocky’s “F-ckin’ Problems” in which the voice censored the curse words.
The TikToker’s reaction:
“Someone come get this woman. Someone come get this white woman in my house saying ‘n-gga,’” she exclaimed in the TikTok.
Following the video going viral, Google made changes so that its Google Home device would no longer say the N-word aloud.
“We are deeply sorry for the pain caused by Assistant’s use of this word,” a Google spokesperson shared in an exclusive statement with AfroTech. “Every day we’re working to build an Assistant for everyone – one that is representative of all our users. We’ve implemented an immediate update and remain committed to providing users with an experience that is inclusive and safe.”
Confirmation of the update:
@ohgustie Replying to @ohgustie #greenscreen you see kids? your jokes and lil memes can make change #googlehome #fyp ♬ Ni**as In Paris – JAY Z & Kanye West
Although an apology — along with action — was given, Google didn’t disclose what went into the decision-making of what is considered explicit language and what is not.
What’s more, considering that the device has been out since around 2016 and Google has over 100,000 employees, one has to raise their eyebrows. Is it truly possible that no one on the team caught that in order to take action?
“The fact that they changed it, that’s great,” the TikToker — whose name is Shay — told Gizmodo. “But it’s still surprising it was an issue at all.”
TikTok’s Debate:
After calling Google out, Shay was met by users in the comment section who had opposing views of the matter.
“So many people find it funny, and it’s pretty hilarious, but a lot of other people were pretty bothered,” she said.
She continued: “A lot of people were pretty upset with me for making it a big deal, which I wasn’t.”
Additionally, Shay made a note to the outlet that a group of users in the comments said that the N-word didn’t need to be censored.
“A lot of white people came out and exposed themselves,” she added, according to reports.
