Apple Admits and Apologizes for Listen to Your Conversations

Apple on Wednesday apologized for its digital assistant Siri sharing some of what it heard with quality control workers as it unveiled new rules for handling data from conversations.

Under the changes, Apple will allow its employees to review conversations only from customers who opt in to the “Siri grading” program to improve the voice recognition technology.

Apple on Wednesday apologized for its digital assistant Siri sharing some of what it heard with quality control workers as it unveiled new rules for handling data from conversations.

Under the changes, Apple will allow its employees to review conversations only from customers who opt in to the “Siri grading” program to improve the voice recognition technology.


Apple will also delete by default any recordings used for the program.

“We realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that, we apologize,” Apple said in a post.

“We’ve decided to make some changes to Siri” as a result of concerns expressed about the grading program, the company added.

“Our goal with Siri, the pioneering intelligent assistant, is to provide the best experience for our customers while vigilantly protecting their privacy.”

Computer-generated transcripts will still be used to hone the ability of the software to understand what people say and mean, the company said.

Apple suspended the program after news broke that contractors were hearing confidential medical information, criminal dealings, and even sexual encounters.

The California tech giant was among several firms scrutinized using contractors to “listen” to conversations with digital assistants to improve artificial intelligence software.

If customers opt-in, only Apple employees will be allowed to listen to audio samples of Siri interactions and they will “work to delete any recording which is determined to be an inadvertent trigger” of the voice-commanded digital assistant, according to the company.

“We hope that many people will choose to help Siri get better, knowing that Apple respects their data and has strong privacy controls in place,” Apple Apology.

Google and Amazon have also announced changes to their programs in response to privacy concerns.

source: usa.inquirer.net

Barbra Streisand asks Apple to fix how Siri pronounces her name

Broadway singer Barbra Streisand was unhappy with how Apple’s virtual assistant is pronouncing her surname, so she called up Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, and asked him to program Siri to pronounce her name correctly.

“She pronounces my name wrong,” Babs admitted to music show NPR Weekend Edition Saturday. “Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach. I’ve been saying this for my whole career. And so what did I do? I called the head of Apple, Tim Cook, and he delightfully agreed to have Siri change the pronunciation of my name, finally, with the next update on Sep. 30.”

The 74-year old singer-filmmaker also said, “So let’s see if that happens because I will be thrilled.”

The topic about Siri came when the show’s host Scott Simon played a naughty game on his iPhone, Daily Mail reported.

“May I ask a question of my iPhone while you’re with us?” she asked Streisand, to which she agreed.

“Siri, who is the only female vocalist who has had hit records for six straight decades?” Simon asked the computer assistant.

“Barbra Streizzzand,” Siri replied in front of Streisand.

Streisand is on a tour for her new album “Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway” with guests such as Alec Baldwin and Anne Hathaway.  Gianna Francesca Catolico/rga

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Apple’s virtual assistant Siri also getting in on Pokémon craze

Pokémon Go has grown exponentially in popularity since its release date. And now even Apple’s own virtual assistant is getting in on the Pokémon craze.

A report from 9to5Mac says that Siri now answers the question “Do you play Pokémon Go?” with a variety of replies. However, any other phrasing will simply open the app or offer to navigate for the user to random locations.

Here are some of Siri’s Pokémon Go-related replies:

* “Of course. That’s what it’s all about. Oh, wait, that’s the hoké Pokémon.”
* “Snorlax. Zzzz. Sorry, what was the question?”
* “I like playing peekaboo with Pikacu.”
* “Confining virtual beings inside powerful devices makes me feel funny for some reason.”
* “I like pocket monsters. Pocket assistants, too.”
* “Just make sure to look both ways. And up and down, too.”

As Pokémon Go continues to be released in other countries, perhaps even Microsoft’s Cortana can have a chance to catch up with her fellow virtual assistant and offer up her own quirky replies to Pokémon-related inquiries.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net