Amazon's AI Assistant Struggles with Diverse Dialects, Study Finds

Amazon's AI assistant struggles with diverse dialects, study finds

A new Cornell study has revealed that Amazon's AI shopping assistant, Rufus, gives vague or incorrect responses to users writing in some English dialects, such as African American English (AAE), especially when prompts contain typos.

Amazon’s AI assistant struggles with diverse dialects, study finds

New Cornell research has implications for the increasing number of online platforms that are incorporating chatbots based on large language models.

Study Shows Higher Error Rates in AI Responses When Queries Use African American, Indian, or Singaporean English

A new audit of Amazon’s AI chatbot, Rufus, reveals that the system fails more often when users speak in everyday English, especially when the phrasing reflects dialects like African American English (AAE), Indian English, or Singaporean English. Researchers at Cornell University found that Rufus often gives less accurate or more uncertain answers when users write in these dialects, even if the question itself is clear. The study didn’t just look…