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

This week’s question: should we be polite to voice assistants and AIs?

Has a war ever ended or de-escalated because someone (eg the pope, the UN secretary general) called on the belligerents to “show restraint”?

Laurence Whiteside, via email

Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com.