you can already do that in iOS -- you can tap the query as heard and change it via taps and typing
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's Machine Learning Has Cut Siri's Error Rate by a Factor of Two
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Siri is trash.. I hope Apple reads these boards... most comments are negative. Out of nowhere, siri now asks me who the **** my mom is, after being able to call her for years.... Asking siri for anything other than setting a timer or an alarm is trash.. Even worse with calendar reminders.
Last edited by a moderator:
Siri has worked for me form the beginning, but I find that recently I can speak much more casually to it and have it understand me. In fact, it seems the more casually I speak to it the fewer problems I have.
It's gotten to the point where we'll laugh when she screws up, because it's rare enough that we can.
It's gotten to the point where we'll laugh when she screws up, because it's rare enough that we can.
Needs to be cut by 10 more for it to be better. I hardly use Siri because it doesn't work well at all.
My wife despises Siri. She has a mild accent, Siri cannot understand most of what she says, the gibberish Siri spits out is actually quite comical. I changed her over to a Note 7 recently and she is amazed at how well it works with her accent. I'm not sure how well Siri works overall, but I think they really need to improve it with accents.
I agree with your point. I think the problem is deeper: built in feedback forms are flat out useless when it seems no one is listening on the other end where the form goes. That is Apples biggest issue I think....listening to the feedback. I understand that not every wish will be fulfilled....however Apple is more than capable of recognizing patterns of repeat complaint. They just honestly don't seem to care.
Edit: Maps is a prime example of this: after all these years people still have the same types of issues, and when I read them it's often accompanied by the statement "Ive submitted this issue to them multiple times." Well, let's factor out the 10% that lied about doing that, the 10% that thought they did but didn't, and the 10% that can't read a map whether it's right or wrong. That still should translate to Apple that significant problems exist. Of course my numbers are arbitrary, but I think ppl will get the point. Point: Apple practices willful ignorance and does things in the order it would like to, mostly ignoring common sense every day feedback. Im still going to use their products, but I have no illusions that certain things will get fixed quickly.
Last edited:
Maybe Apple's "machine learning" could teach OS X El Cap how to properly create a .cdr image from a disc without failing, or actually disconnect from an Apple file server on the network when the disconnect button is clicked, or be able to print multiple copies of a document from any MS Office app, or...
Siri has gotten better, but they've still got work to do connecting her to more data sources. I couldn't even get her to give me medal information during the Olympics for crying out loud.
They also really need to work on Autocorrect. Sometimes it will repeatedly replace a word, even when backspacing over it, and the word makes no sense in context. Other times I'll type something like "We'll see" or "We're going" and it will change it to "Well see" or "Were going". If I took the freaking time to switch to the punctuation keyboard and back to type that word specifically, why would they remove contractions randomly? I mean, it doesn't always do it, but it's super annoying when it does.
As for being smart, it only gives things like time to drive home when it connects to Bluetooth in the car. I never saw that until I got a new car that has BT. Now I see it all the time. It should know that I usually go home between 5-5:30, so it should put that on my phone when it detects I'm walking away for the day. It should be able to figure out I'm driving when the GPS is going too fast and that I do that every day.
They also really need to work on Autocorrect. Sometimes it will repeatedly replace a word, even when backspacing over it, and the word makes no sense in context. Other times I'll type something like "We'll see" or "We're going" and it will change it to "Well see" or "Were going". If I took the freaking time to switch to the punctuation keyboard and back to type that word specifically, why would they remove contractions randomly? I mean, it doesn't always do it, but it's super annoying when it does.
As for being smart, it only gives things like time to drive home when it connects to Bluetooth in the car. I never saw that until I got a new car that has BT. Now I see it all the time. It should know that I usually go home between 5-5:30, so it should put that on my phone when it detects I'm walking away for the day. It should be able to figure out I'm driving when the GPS is going too fast and that I do that every day.
I've definitely noticed Siri getting much better over the last couple of years. Dictation is where I've seen the most improvement. It's super fast now, and accuracy is way up. It still struggles with acronyms but that's a tough one in general. Siri also does great with setting alarms, checking the weather, sports scores, etc.
Maps-related queries are still hit-and-miss. The issue here is not Siri itself, but the maps database (directions, names of businesses, etc.), which we know they are working on, but improvements have been slow. I rarely use Apple Maps or Siri for those items. I launch Google Maps or the Google search app, and get exactly what I want almost every time. I do expect Apple will get there, and iOS 10 may make a big leap in the right direction. We will see. At least I can use Siri for what she's great at, and launch Google apps when I need them. I have that pretty down pat.
I would also like to see improvements in setting appointments. I still get unpredictable results with that.
Maps-related queries are still hit-and-miss. The issue here is not Siri itself, but the maps database (directions, names of businesses, etc.), which we know they are working on, but improvements have been slow. I rarely use Apple Maps or Siri for those items. I launch Google Maps or the Google search app, and get exactly what I want almost every time. I do expect Apple will get there, and iOS 10 may make a big leap in the right direction. We will see. At least I can use Siri for what she's great at, and launch Google apps when I need them. I have that pretty down pat.
I would also like to see improvements in setting appointments. I still get unpredictable results with that.
To be honest, I just tried that to see if Siri could do it. Tried to do it with simple phrases like asking what's "I love you" in French, and it did a web search.
I don't know if Siri is better or not, never think to use it. maybe I'll give it another go. but I'll take designed in privacy over accuracy. I'll take personal security as a primary principle rather than trust an organization who's entire revenue structure is built out of profiling it's users.
Maybe Google (and AT&T and Samsung and Verizon and MasterCard and Amazon and...) are truly focused on keeping our info secure and contained, but that is today. Google still has it's founders in charge. Their pride and respect for what they created allows them to have integrity beyond the average MBA (Masters not Air) holder. How much longer for that and what then? at some point the real value of that information is too tempting. at some point they will make a mistake or an employee will be in need of a quick payday. then what?
In ten years the iPhone will have 1000x the processing power, TBs of storage and many more tools for data gathering analysis (no need for the "cloud") along with encryption beyond what anyone is even imagining now. On that day, is every little detail of your entire life on thousands of servers controlled by hundreds of companies, dozens of governments and thousands of people who don't care one bit about you, or will it be right there, secure, in the palm of your hand?
Maybe Google (and AT&T and Samsung and Verizon and MasterCard and Amazon and...) are truly focused on keeping our info secure and contained, but that is today. Google still has it's founders in charge. Their pride and respect for what they created allows them to have integrity beyond the average MBA (Masters not Air) holder. How much longer for that and what then? at some point the real value of that information is too tempting. at some point they will make a mistake or an employee will be in need of a quick payday. then what?
In ten years the iPhone will have 1000x the processing power, TBs of storage and many more tools for data gathering analysis (no need for the "cloud") along with encryption beyond what anyone is even imagining now. On that day, is every little detail of your entire life on thousands of servers controlled by hundreds of companies, dozens of governments and thousands of people who don't care one bit about you, or will it be right there, secure, in the palm of your hand?
Siri is terrible for me. One of the things that absolutely bothers me the most is when something is mispronounced.... like the name of a city, and I can't say "actually, it's pronounced..." and then she'll say it the right way forever going forward.
There are just SO many nitpick things Apple completely ignores while they focus on stupid new stuff instead. They do it with macOS, iOS, etc.
MAKE THE PRODUCT WORK before you add new stuff to it!!
There are just SO many nitpick things Apple completely ignores while they focus on stupid new stuff instead. They do it with macOS, iOS, etc.
MAKE THE PRODUCT WORK before you add new stuff to it!!
Turn off cellular for streaming music and Siri doesn't even bother to look in your already downloaded music. She just complains that it's set to "wifi only" instead of looking through what I have.
You had one job... ONE JOB.
(Anything to use more data is good for Apple and the cellphone companies, I suppose.)
My Ford's sync3 is better than Siri and it doesn't have to send it to a server to get the job done.
Siri is still better than whatever Audi insists on using...
You had one job... ONE JOB.
(Anything to use more data is good for Apple and the cellphone companies, I suppose.)
My Ford's sync3 is better than Siri and it doesn't have to send it to a server to get the job done.
Siri is still better than whatever Audi insists on using...
Last edited:
If Siri is so great, then why is it necessary to constantly tell us that?
Siri is functionally useless. It doesn't interpret speech correctly (at least in my case), frequently misinterprets simple commands, and is just bloody frustrating to use! I've turned it off completely for over a year now, and I haven't missed it one bit.
In my view, Siri is worse than Ping! Yes, I went there.
Siri is functionally useless. It doesn't interpret speech correctly (at least in my case), frequently misinterprets simple commands, and is just bloody frustrating to use! I've turned it off completely for over a year now, and I haven't missed it one bit.
In my view, Siri is worse than Ping! Yes, I went there.
You guys complain all the time that Apple doesn't innovate. MacRumors shows this ad-rticle and you guys still complain.
You guys make Timmy upset.
You guys make Timmy upset.
Do you know how the error rate dropped for me? I STOPPED using it as it was garbage.
With my friends I usually say.. can you use google now.. because I HAVE given up on Siri.
So they are right, error rate has gone down, but because it sucks so bad people don't use it. And yes yes, some people say it works good for them, all I know it doesn't work for me but goole now doesn't have a problem with me!
I think this is more Apple propaganda trying to do damage control. There has been a flurry of interviews and stories staying.. all is fine with apple, we are innovating and bla bla bla. It's probably to justify Tim's 100 million dollar bonus for leading the company to the ground!
Golden Parachute with diamonds in it?
With my friends I usually say.. can you use google now.. because I HAVE given up on Siri.
So they are right, error rate has gone down, but because it sucks so bad people don't use it. And yes yes, some people say it works good for them, all I know it doesn't work for me but goole now doesn't have a problem with me!
I think this is more Apple propaganda trying to do damage control. There has been a flurry of interviews and stories staying.. all is fine with apple, we are innovating and bla bla bla. It's probably to justify Tim's 100 million dollar bonus for leading the company to the ground!
Golden Parachute with diamonds in it?
I had no idea what you meant by "skip 32nd" until you said what it meant. I'd hardly blame SIRI for that