Siri, the virtual personal assistant launched with the iPhone 4S has been a headline feature of the new device. Marking a step forward in terms of artificial intelligence Siri is an app bought by Apple in 2010 which was then made available on the iPhone 4 before becoming an exclusive feature of the iPhone 4S. Integrating with the device’s apps including email, notes, maps and messaging the programme has been praised for its ability to understand context, causing much delight among bloggers as they explore it’s limits asking existential questions about the meaning of life and the search for love, as well as to include meetings in their diaries.
However enthusiasm for the app has not been all-encompassing. Some iPhone 4S users with heavy accents have complained that Siri is finding it difficult to understand what they are saying.
Siri is meant to understand English (US, UK and Australia), French and German. Yet those with accents are reporting they are finding it difficult to make themselves heard. Native Spanish speakers speaking in English, for example, as well as Scots speakers in the UK say Siri cannot understand their voices. Strong accents and dialects are also proving to be a problem for Siri, distinctive regional accents like Boston in the US. While the mix-ups can have amusing results, for example one Scot who asked Siri “Can you dance with me” only to get the interpretation through the app of “Can you Dutch women”, it has proved to be frustrating to those who are unable to fully use their new device. (more…)
