GG! Singapore MOH Disables Their Chatbot After It Gave Out Outrageous Replies

Have you ever been so frustrated with chatbots that you just want to pull their virtual hair out? I know I did. 

Singapore’s Ministry of Health utilises a chatbot that goes by the name Ask Jamie since 2014 and you can ask it for Covid-19 advice. However, there seems to be a glitch in the system as its automated replies are not hitting the mark.

An individual has turned to Ask Jamie for advice after their family member had contracted Covid-19, here’s how the conversation went:

Person A: My daughter tested Covid positive what should I do

Ask Jamie: You should practice safe sex through the correct and consistent use of condoms, or abstinence, for at least the whole duration of your female partner’s pregnancy.

This certainly sounds like a very exasperating conversation to have.

TODAY Online has also reported another conversation where a user asked about where to get ART (antigen rapid test), to which the chatbot responded with “the polio vaccine is available at polyclinics, private clinics as well as travellers clinics”.

This obviously sparked amusement among netizens.

Since then, the chatbot has been temporarily disabled for a “thorough system check and work on improvements”.

We have had our fair share of bad experiences with chatbots as well. What about you? Have you ever had a frustrating conversation with a bot before? Let us know in the comments. 

Also read: KJ: MySejahtera To Add New Feature For Reporting Premises That Flout Covid-19 SOPs