Should we be polite to voice assistants and AIs?

. UK edition

Mind your Ps and Qs … an Amazon Echo Dot.
Mind your Ps and Qs … an Amazon Echo Dot. Photograph: Nathaniel Noir/Alamy

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

I always say please and thank you to my Alexa. Why is this? I am sure it doesn’t care. Is it worth being polite to artificial assistants? Alison Williams, Toronto

Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.