Google has given it's official response to claims that the search engine's spell-checking algorithms are sexist. Until recently, if a user typed in dynamic phrases — such as "she invents" — Google would suggest an alternative, such as "he invents." For other verbs, such as follow, the search engine proposes a suitably deferential female protagonist. "Google develops its own spell-checking algorithms based on sophisticated machine learning methods, using cues from aggregated user input, Web documents, and many other sources," a spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune. The translation? It's the world that's sexist; we just index it.

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