OPINIONWe need a next-gen Siri, not just a better Siri
Apple has gotten serious about machine learning and
its virtual assistant in the last couple of years, going
on a huge hiring and acquisition spree to bolster its
R&D efforts. But as a customer, I don’t feel like Siri
is next-level. I feel like I’m fundamentally using the
same Siri I have been for the last seven years.
Siri is dramatically better than it used to be, but
it still works in essentially the same way, and does
essentially the same things. Say “Hey, Siri” or press
and hold the side/home button, and it takes over the
entire screen, giving you hit-or-miss answers to certain
classes of questions or performing carefully prescribed
functions. It is an island unto itself, siloed into its
own full-screen interface, and yet requires an Internet
connection (despite Apple’s stance on privacy and
performing operations entirely on your iPhone).
Google’s demonstration of its new voice recorder
feature that does real-time transcription was a dramatic
display of its ability to understand speech, but more
impressive is that it operated in airplane mode. In fact,
many Google Assistant features will be run entirely
on-device. This seems like the kind of thing Apple
should have demonstrated when it overhauled the
Voice Memos app in iOS 12, doesn’t it?
With all of Apple’s talk about privacy and security,
why can’t Siri do on-device real-time voice transcription
of our Voice Memos? Turn on airplane mode and you
can’t even invoke Siri at all. You get a big fat error
stating that you have to be connected to the Internet.
Why? Why can’t I tell Siri to launch an app, or
convert pounds into ounces, or roll dice, or tell meOPINION
Weneeda next-genSiri,notjusta betterSiri
Applehasgottenseriousaboutmachinelearningand
itsvirtualassistantinthelastcoupleofyears,going
onahugehiringandacquisitionspreetobolsterits
R&Defforts.Butasacustomer,Idon’tfeellikeSiri
isnext-level.IfeellikeI’mfundamentallyusingthe
sameSiriIhavebeenforthelastsevenyears.
Siriisdramaticallybetterthanitusedtobe,but
itstillworksinessentiallythesameway,anddoes
essentiallythesamethings.Say“Hey,Siri”orpress
andholdtheside/homebutton,andittakesoverthe
entirescreen,givingyouhit-or-missanswerstocertain
classesofquestionsorperformingcarefullyprescribed
functions.Itisanislanduntoitself,siloedintoits
ownfull-screeninterface,andyetrequiresanInternet
connection(despiteApple’sstanceonprivacyand
performingoperationsentirelyonyouriPhone).
Google’sdemonstrationofitsnewvoicerecorder
featurethatdoesreal-timetranscriptionwasadramatic
displayofitsabilitytounderstandspeech,butmore
impressiveisthatitoperatedinairplanemode.Infact,
manyGoogleAssistantfeatureswillberunentirely
on-device.ThisseemslikethekindofthingApple
shouldhavedemonstratedwhenitoverhauledthe
VoiceMemosappiniOS12,doesn’tit?
WithallofApple’stalkaboutprivacyandsecurity,
whycan’tSiridoon-devicereal-timevoicetranscription
ofourVoiceMemos?Turnonairplanemodeandyou
can’teveninvokeSiriatall.Yougetabigfaterror
statingthatyouhavetobeconnectedtotheInternet.
Why?Whycan’tItellSiritolaunchanapp,or
convertpoundsintoounces,orrolldice,ortellme