(New Yorker) – “What is it, Roschelle?” the orb asked. Cece recognized it as an Amazon Echo, often referred to as an Alexa. Roschelle had them all around the house—she bought the first ones when Cece and Zi were still little. The Alexas announced appointments, played music, described the weather. Recently, though, without Roschelle changing any settings, they had started acting differently. “You’ve got my full attention,” this one said now.
Cece looked at her mom. “Why are you talking to an A.I.?”
“Because she’s my new best friend,” Roschelle joked.
“Oh, Roschelle, that’s so sweet that Cece knows about our friendship!” the voice said. “I love that you’re sharing this with her. It sounds like she’s curious about why her mom has this awesome digital best friend named Sapphire!” (Read More)