But maybe they DO have free will and are merely biding their time 🤷‍♂️

I do this with Siri and similar voice interfaces for the same reason.

I'm not convinced that computers haven't already become self-aware; they simply lack free will.

Getting the [tʰæ.ˈtʰuː] tattoo is how I'll celebrate getting my BA in linguistics this spring. If I want the Wug Life one, I'll have to go to grad school and get another degree first.

The California Vowel Shift is not degree-dependent. I can get that one anytime I have both the time and money.

My undergrad Phonology professor took the class step-by-step through the sound changes that were in play to get "Mele Kalikimaka" from "Merry Christmas." I had always just kind of assumed it was more of a calque rather than a loan phrase.

It's a precious commodity that should be hoarded but also shared.

While people like this don't deserve our pity (they had plenty of warning that this would happen), if they're willing to learn and grow, they perhaps deserve our time and maybe some basic human empathy.

Stay safe when choosing who to indulge with your time and empathy, though.