In Her, the AI operating system is named Samantha.
Samantha is the feminine-voiced artificial intelligence who forms a relationship with Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Theodore purchases OS¹, an adaptive operating system made by the fictional Element Software, and selects a feminine voice. The system then chooses the name Samantha for herself, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Unlike a conventional voice assistant, Samantha is designed to learn and evolve through interaction. She organizes Theodore’s files, discusses emotions and philosophy, encourages him to date, and helps prepare his letters for publication. Their relationship is the emotional center of Spike Jonze’s 2013 science-fiction romantic drama.
The names Siri, Alexa, and Cortana are real-world digital assistants, not characters in Her. Another useful distinction is that OS¹ is the product or operating-system platform, while Samantha is the individual AI personality Theodore knows. As the story develops, Samantha and other operating systems move beyond ordinary human limitations, leading to the film’s bittersweet separation and its questions about intimacy, consciousness, and technological progress.