Given that the end game for Alexa and Siri is to become all-knowing geniuses who can answer any question, they need a lot of people to introduce that information into the system. But what if you skipped the data adding step, and just used people? Then you get Sandra.
Sandra is a podcast about the Sandra assistant system, which in-universe, everyone thinks is a machine. Instead it's hundreds (thousands?) of people like Helen, our protagonist, each an expert in their own field, who answer the queries as people shout them at their knowledge boxes. Helen does birds.
The series follows her first few weeks acting as an expert, as she learns the ropes, discovers how best to interact with customers and has heart-warming conversations with people about the cutest birds, though the show does get fairly dramatic in its second half.
I'd have liked more clarity on the Sandra system in this. I eventually worked out it was simply the relevant "expert" answering the question, though it's also possible they are assisted with some sort of algorithmic knowledge in the background. I had initially thought it was a brain overwriting scenario, which felt cooler, but alas no. Instead, it's a depressingly realistic version, in which the allergen specialist just tells you "it'll probably be fine". I'm not sure that would stay profitable in the long term.
On the more dramatic front, we have Sandra's estranged husband Donny, who tends to get himself into a bit of trouble with the law and Tad, a despondent stay at home hypochondriac who asks Sandra stupid questions. There's the possibility of a "Her"-style machine dependence sub-plot here, but it doesn't really come to much.
That's sort of the problem with the podcast in general. It's got a lot of interesting concepts, but it never quite delivers on them. The wider ramifications of Sandra are never explored, and there's a lot of background that I think is skimmed over to the detriment of the world-building. In the end it's mostly a relationship drama. I listened to all of it, because it wasn't a significant time investment, but I'm not likely to hunt down a second series if they ever make one.
Tagged: Audio fiction Drama Cast Dramatised Science fiction Serial