Siri Co-Founder Suggests Apple is 'Looking for a Level of Perfection They Can't Get' With Assistant

[AmazingRobie]

The most successful CEO in the world. Your post is just silly.

Getting people who had old phones to switch to an iPhone because they were getting a new one anyway is no great feat based on Apples reputation built under the Jobs era. Apples growth will slow down eventually, (unless they get a foothold in Asia, which is why Timmy boy is trying so hard to appeal to that region and exactly why everyone here should be concerned if they do as everything will continue "business as usual" with updates that break things, manufacturing with faulty components to secure the purchase of Apple Care or repairs that fatten up profit margins). Once the new Apple users of the last couple of years are wise to the tactics at Apple and are sick of paying to replace or repair faulty electronics every couple of years there will be a drastic decline in those bottom lines. Silly or not, with the current lineup at Apple and the way they care more about profit and expansion than the user experience, it's only a matter of time.

 

[9081094]

My interaction with Siri this morning.

"Siri, get me directions to Cambridge North train station by bike"

• "Would you like me to get you directions to Cambridge North train station by bike?"

"Yes, I would like directions to Cambridge north train station by bike"

• "Okay"

iPhone does absolutely nothing except want me to unlock the screen, no voice prompt no nothing. So I unlock the iPhone, it brings up a map of the whole of the UK and that is it. A tab is at the bottom of the screen for Cambridge North Station which I click on and it is directions... BY CAR.

So where did Siri go wrong?

1. If Siri can't give directions somewhere using bike travel, SAY SO AT THE START.
2. Why should I have to unlock the iPhone? I used voice message thereby indicating that I don't have the iPhone in hand. If I was on the bike, what use would that be?
3. No voice prompt. Nothing to tell me I had to unlock the screen. So how do I know what to do? As far as I would know, if the iPhone was out of sight I just think it isn't working.
4. Even when opened the iPhone did nothing except open the app. I could do that quicker than going through the horror of Siri.
5. It still required an extra touch prompt to get the directions - even if they were the wrong ones I asked for. Again, useless if I was on the bike.

Siri just simply isn't integrated well enough into the basic phone systems. If I am using Siri, it is because I am NOT holding the iPhone or looking at my iPhone screen.

Does Maps do bike transits in the UK or is it Cambridge in the US). Not in the Netherlands where most people use bicycles to go somewhere in the world. Google maps has this service for years and also give you the possibility to offload the maps. So I totally rely on google these days because their services are so much better and that gap is widening each year.

It’s a shame to sit in an expensive Apple trap where you pay considerably more and get considerably less. This can’t go on forever and I’m already looking for alternatives, which are plenty.

 

[sracer]

Geez, I completely forgot that this forum seems to be Apple Fanboi Central.

How dare I critize Apple.

-t

your post wasn’t actually a criticism of Apple but an admission of your devotion to Apple.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

The whole of Silicon Vally seems to be disappearing up a hole of its own self-righteousness in "diversity" hires at the moment, rather than the best person for the job, which is why innovation across the board is stagnant. Apple is one of the worst offenders. No wonder their products suck now and/or have stagnated for years.

Less HR innovation, more product innovation.

 

[MacBergin]

Since Siri's introduction in the iPhone 4s in 2011, responses to Apple's AI assistant have often weighed towards the unfavorable side, most recently in several HomePod reviews that specified Siri as one of the biggest downsides of owning the speaker. This week, Siri creator, co-founder, and former board member Norman Winarsky added in his own commentary about the assistant's current state, saying that he didn't think this is where Siri would be at this point (via Quartz).

In 2008 Siri began as spin-off of SRI International, where Winarsky was the President, and eventually launched as an app for iOS in February 2010. Two months later Apple acquired Siri, and just over a year after that introduced it within the iPhone 4s, shutting down the standalone app shortly thereafter. Seven years later, Winarsky said that Siri's capabilities have fallen short of his earlier predictions for where he thought the assistant, and Apple's development, would end up.

Specifically, Winarsky's comments focus on what Siri's intention was "pre-Apple" versus where the assistant is today. According to the co-founder, Siri was originally meant to be incredibly intelligent in just a few key areas -- travel and entertainment -- and then "gradually extend to related areas" once it mastered each. Apple's acquisition pivoted Siri to an all-encompassing life assistant, and Winarsky said that this decision has likely led Apple to search "for a level of perfection they can't get."
Last September, Apple VP of marketing Greg Joswiak commented on a few aspects of Siri's development, stating that Apple's aim from the beginning has been to make Siri a "get-s**t-done" machine. Joswiak did a series of interviews around the same time last September, after Siri leadership moved to Craig Federighi and before the assistant's six year birthday. In one, he discussed the claim that Siri development has been hindered by Apple's commitment to privacy, describing these reports as "a false narrative."

The original Siri Assistant iOS app​

Winarsky didn't specifically comment on Apple's focus on privacy and how that could be a factor in Siri's development, but he did state that there's one simple factor absent from Siri today: "Surprise and delight is kind of missing right now."

Article Link: Siri Co-Founder Suggests Apple is 'Looking for a Level of Perfection They Can't Get' With Assistant

The reviewers can say all they want about Siri on the HomePod, I for one use Siri 100 times more on my HomePod than on any other device. She is very quick to respond and can hear amazingly well. I control all my lights and music using Siri now.

 

[MacLoveMacHate]

Kudos to them for getting that Apple check though

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

Forget perfection, even mediocrity would be an improvement.

 

[virgilleads]

I have a different view of this.

Apple reads the forums, the reviews, the tech journalists opinions. They don’t have their heads buried in the sand. I think they have chosen to concentrate on getting Siri to be good at doing things that they believe people actually want to do. Half of the things that Siri and other assistants can do, are hardly ever used by the majority of people.

Consider that most people aren’t as tech savvy as those of us who read this forum or read tech journalism. They probably don’t know or care wether Siri can or cant do some of the things that are often complained about in Tech media. Apple ignores the noise because half of it really is just hot air. I use Siri every single day in my car with CarPlay and its great. I use it to check the weather, to send a message, play music and make reminders. It does all of those things incredibly well in my opinion. Other people will use Siri in other ways and I’m sure they get what the need, some people may not.

Does that mean I think Siri is perfect? No. But I do think that in the long term, Apple is taking the right approach. Protect our privacy, and find a better way. Yes they could toggle privacy off as some have suggested. But that isn’t better, it’s just easier. Siri will take time to reach the level that the more tech savvy would like but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s better to be best rather than first. Siri was the first to be well known to consumers but others who have rushed in to follow have compromised on privacy to do it. I don’t think you have to choose. You can have both, if you take the time to do it right.

I have a different view of this.

The fundamental problem with SIRI is the fact that it gives a visual response to an auditory question. But the reason why you are bring up an auditory question is because you can't deal with a visual response at the time.

I love Apple products and use them for everything from work to play. My mother has a eye disease that has made it hard for her to see in recent years. We have used all the assistants in search of what would best help her to be able to function normally with tech in the world. Cortana, Alexa, Nuance, SIRI, and Google Assistant. Others too but I won't bore you. I'll tell you the google assistant the best by far. It's an interface that just works for someone that's visually impaired. For some reason they are really good at allowing the voice interface to be a great interface in itself, not relying on visuals. I just wish wish wish Apple would do the same and make an amazing auditory AI service to compete with google. I love Apple products and would love to stay in the eco system.

 

[vixster1901]

Can someone tell me how to get "hey Siri" to stop answering on all devices, but keep it active/on on all devices. So silly that it can't it figure out proximity...

 

[dannys1]

Really ?
How so ?

Just look at the petty selection of HomeKit compatible devices.

And see my post earlier, Apple can’t even make controlling HomePod connected to their own “smart home” a good experience.

In many ways. Google assistant can't even do scenes natively. It doesn't allow you to put stuff in a room, or even a room within an area like Homekit.

Homekit compatibility is irrelevant really, anyone doing serious home automation needs to get into the hacky side of things with stuff like SmartThings and for Homekit you can run Homebridge and basically automate anything. Tell Siri to "get my car read" puts the climate control on in my Tesla. I can have her open the gates, close the blinds, anything.

Alexa struggled with the latter two for years because they reserved the "open" command for skills - which means you couldn't say "open x".

Google Assistant isn't even on par with Alexa for home automation yet unfortunately, i'm sure it'll get there.

After heavy experimentation with all 3 voice assistants though, Alexa is by far the worst. Google is the best voice assistant but even then Siri often answers questions in a better and more concise way and has Homekit support. For the cost it negligible to run them both anyway and get the best of both.

 

[dude-x]

Well if some guy on the internet heard from some other guy then it MUST be true.

It could also be his opinion...