The 2013 romantic comedy, Her, depicts an alternative universe, in which humans and their personified computers live together in a surrealistic, yet harmonious world. The main character, Theodore Twombly, inadvertently develops a relationship with his operating system, Samantha, which “speaks” with an incredibly convincing human voice.
Though we don’t have the same technology currently, Siri, iOS’s intelligent personal assistant, is probably the closest thing to Samantha. The “knowledge navigator,” as it (she?) is referred to as by Wikipedia, can help you with a variety of tasks – from making phone calls to finding a directions to a location. She even engages in a little bit of witty banter. Now, Siri – as part of Apple’s iOS 9.1 operating system – has become even more advanced, thanks to her new voice recognition feature.
HEY SIRI…?
Along with many other updates, the iPhone 6S features an “always-on” version of Siri, making it easier for users to utilize the program. Now, instead of having to open the functionality by pressing a button on your smart phone, all you need to do is say “Hey Siri” out loud to get her attention.
Unsurprisingly, critics have already raised some serious questions regarding the practicality of Hey Siri. For instance, if Siri is always on, what would happen if a user is in a crowded restaurant? Wouldn’t surrounding voices confuse the heck out of her? Another big issue, as TechCrunch notes, deals with security and privacy. Again, if Siri is “always-on,” is she also listening and recording what users are saying throughout the day?
Luckily, Apple has thought about nearly everything. In regards to privacy, Apple told TechCrunch, “In no case is the device recording what the user says or sending that information to Apple before the feature is triggered.” Plus, Siri is not turned on by default; users need to manually toggle her on in the settings.
Furthermore, Siri will only perform actions issued through a familiar voice, according to Invest Correctly. In this way, Apple hopes to eliminate any potential confusion that can occur when utilizing voice commands. To prepare the program for this challenge, Siri will need to learn your voice through a short training process. According to PC Mag, users will have to answer a few questions and repeat common phrases like “Hey Siri, what’s the weather today?”, which will help the program eventually learn and master your unique voice.
Technology never fails to impress us…
