The release of Apple’s HomePod smart speaker compounded with Amazon and Google’s success with their respective Echo and Home products have reignited discussion as to the overarching disappointment with Siri.
In a new interview with Quartz, Siri co-creator Norman Winarsky suggests that Apple may have given Siri an overly ambitious collection of responsibilities and hasn’t made the feature reliable enough.
Apple acquired Siri from Winarsky’s company, SRI International, in 2010. Winarksy, at this point, optimistically expected Apple to improve the AI so that it would learn more about its users over time, predict what they needed, and constantly improve its conversational abilities.
According to Winarsky, Siri was intended to elicit “surprise and delight” from Apple users, but that this element “is kind of missing right now.” Overall, Siri has fallen short of Winarsky’s – and many others’ – hopes and predictions.
Interestingly, Siri was originally designed to serve as a sort of entertainment and travel concierge. The short-lived iOS app had the ability to look up restaurants, flight statuses, movies, and read the weather, among a number of other basic features.
After Apple purchased Siri, the Cupertino company then decided to turn the AI into a full-time assistant, which Winarsky felt was obviously a much bigger challenge that would take much longer to perfect.
Winarsky says the original intention was for Siri to complete a small number of things “flawlessly.” Once the assistant was able to master the details of a single task – such as routing you home by car or booking you a hotel – then expand to another task, slowly increasing its abilities. Instead, Apple rapidly increased Siri’s capabilities, but failed to fully complete or perfect any of them.
It’s important to keep in mind that Apple’s intense focus on user privacy has doubtless had a significant impact on Siri’s development. While Google and Microsoft have the ability to search cloud-based data through user permission to anticipate one’s needs, Apple has refused to take this option. Siri instead relies on a much smaller set of data stored on a user’s iOS device.
“They’re probably looking for a level of perfection they can’t get,” Winarsky says. “These are hard problems, and when you’re a company dealing with up to a billion people, the problems get harder yet.”
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
it sucks how slow Siri is coming along, but at the same time I am glad Apple isn’t like Google or Amazon, in terms of user data, MS is a bit better then those two but yes offers up lots of data. in the end it could force Apple to make and even more intelligent assistant, or drop it
I want a physical assistant that brings me my beer from the fridge. Thats the direction Siri should be heading.
On the bright side, it’s great that Apple has big ambitions for Siri. I would far more worried if they didn’t. Maybe Apple should just focus on taking baby steps as opposed trying to do everything all at once.
as I said above, this guy has not clue what siri is now, so not he really can’t make a comment on what it can or can’t do. Sure based on the siri he knows, he is correct, but thats not the Siri thats on your phone now.
Curious, what IS the Siri that’s on your iPhone now? Even when I read most other Apple tech blogs there seems to be nothing but frustration with Siri.
It mass hysteria that is not founded in reality. All of a sudden nobody can type anymore and need an “assistant” for everything that they do.
Good advice. Maybe you should be on Apple’s board of directors. They could use some fresh ideas since they are struggling so much with Siri.
When I apply and get accepted you’ll be the first to know. I’ll even call for Tim Cook’s resignation.
Awesome! I am sure you would do waaay better than those dummies. Tim’s days are numbered!
If he keeps going the way he’s going, focusing too much on politics and using Apple to push his own political agendas and not focusing on making on enriching users lives by making the best products (and services), then yes, his days are numbered.
Some would say, including myself that he is killing it on all those points. Apparently I am not comprehending what product is being neglected. Since Siri is a feature and not a product that generates profit, Apple is doing quite well under his leadership. And enriching users lives shouldn’t come at the expense of oppressed workers and the environment. Apple’s record quarterly profit would indicate that the majority of Apples consumers are happy. For some weird reason the comment section on tech blogs mainly reflects the unhappy minority. So cheer up. You have friends here that will support your view point no matter how unreasonable they are.
Siri needs improvements. We haven’t seen much expanding and upgrading since Siri first came out. Needs a Canadian specific support, it’s very limited. I’ve actually changed my region to US to gain functionality. I would love to have options to call out Siri instead of “hey Siri” but that’s just what I want. ?
two years ago, and more recently its been completely changed. The link to the other Fast Company article really goes deep into what it does and what it can’t do and why, as well as the changes that have been done.
Siri is different the the one he founded. It doesn’t use the same voice recognition is use to. Two years ago it changed how it things in general, so what he is saying only really applies to the Siri he knows, which no longer exists.
“Siri has fallen short of Winarsky’s – and many others’ – hopes and predictions.” He’s talking about the current SIRI.
Yeah, but I don’t think he actually knows the current Siri. Meaning that his experience and knowledge, which are the reason they thought it was important enough to write this, aren’t all that applicable to the current situation. He is right that it’s gone beyond its original intent, but they changed it. It needs work, and I hope it gets better and better, but I think it still has potential, I think this implies it’s a lost cause.
Yeah I think it has potential too. Google needs some competition so I’m cheering for Siri.
Why does something Google offers for free need competition? Are they getting complacent? Oh wait, they make money off of users data and their assistant favours ads over actual relevant searches. Yes, they are sooo much better. Funny how this assistant thing is so hotly debated right now. Before the iPhone 4s nobody knew what was coming. Sheesh…
I knew assistants before the iPhone 4s because I downloaded and used the Siri app on my iPhone 4. Then Apple bought it and let it stagnate.
It does what I need it to do. I represent a demographic just like you do. I bet mine is larger than yours though.
Here’s what I found on the web for “It does what I need it to do.”
Thank you Siri, you always give me exactly what I need. You’re the best!
I coded original Siri. I knew original Siri. Original Siri was a friend of mine. Google Assistant/Alexa/Cortana/Bixbey, you’re no Siri 2.0…
Stadium erupts with a standing ovation and deafening cheers. Siri drops the mic and leaves the stage. (She’s holding it because she’s an assistant, remember?)
If Apple put their users first, they would licence Google Assistant technology and let us use that by default. That’s what they did with Google Maps back in Steve Jobs’ day.
Instead they restrict what Google Assistant can do on an iPhone (Apple won’t allow it to be set as default, they don’t allow it to turn on Bluetooth etc. etc.) so we’re forced to use Siri, even though it’s not a first-class experience.
Apple should swallow its pride and give its users what’s best while they perfect Siri.
Apple is a business. Businesses create strategies that sometimes take time to realize. Pacing yourself always wins the race even when the critics criticize and think that they could do better or competitors appear to be winning the battle when they are actually loosing the war. All this focus on who has the smartest assistant is mind boggling to me. Stop being lazy and just type it in. Get off your hover board and walk.
Apple is a business. But now it is JUST a business. It’s used to be more like Tesla and Space X, but now it’s more of a Samsung.
I disagree with that comparison. Tesla does not appeal to the masses. Sure it helped kickstart electric vehicles on a large scale but you currently are burning one toxic resource to create another clean energy resource which is counter productive. Space X while interesting also is a waste of effort in helping mankind. Fix earth first instead trying to get away from it. Samsung has done nothing to change the world other than riding on coat tails and starting the shame Apple Users campaign thats so popular with the kids these days. Apple has done more to protect the environment, human rights, give back through charities than any other tech company that I know of all under Cooks leadership. Sometimes doing business also includes doing the right thing while balancing a whole spectrum of other things including creating products and profit. Who else is doing this? Amazon, Alphabet, Google, and Samsung may only hit one or two insignificant things but not all really meaningful things. So I disagree that Apple “is JUST a business.”
Steve Jobs’ Apple changed the world with the Apple I and Apple II and Macintosh and iPod and iPhone and iPad. Tim Cook did not change the world with the Apple Watch, Apple TV and HomePod.
No but FaceID is the gateway tech to developing AR environment maps. Google tried to do this but failed because they could not reduce the cost. Animoji is just to get consumers to use FaceID more so it can learn then they will reduce the cost so they can scan out further into larger spaces on the other side of the phone. An assistant is just a gimmick for lazy people. I use it, but its not life changing or enhancing. AR is way more useful once it can be expanded into entire environments beyond the face. As for Tim vs Steve I would say they made a great team, just like the original Steve and Steve. You don’t think that the Apple Watch will change the world with all of it biometric features. I see a world where millennials and gen x-ers with aging parents will make them where an Apple Watch for all of its biometric features. If you take care of someone in their 80’s or 90’s then you will know what I mean. HomePod is going to replace stereo systems. Is TouchID Tim Cooks?
Where’d everybody go? Now I am just replying to myself. I am bored… whattodo whattodo whattodo
Tim’s not a nice guy – he creates fake shell companies overseas to not pay taxes. The kind of thing Donald Trump is so proud of doing.
Do I need to remind you that he also decided that false advertising was no big deal when he slowed down his customers’ phones without their knowledge?
I agree that the Microsoft Kinect technology that Apple brands as FaceID could be used for something useful one day. I wouldn’t call Microsoft’s use of it a great success and I don’t think the iPhone X’s use is much better (necessitating a bigger notch, making Apple Pay require more steps etc.)
I’m sure that AR will be useful as well, but I don’t see a killer device or app using it yet. It’s not like Tim Cook invented AR – he’s just joining the game like everyone else just to keep up.
Also, I totally disagree that assistants are a gimmick. This is as shortsighted as Bill Gates not seeing the internet as a big deal until it was almost too late. Assistants and the intelligence behind them are the next big thing like the internet was the last big thing. Being behind in this area is the biggest red flag to believing Apple has long term prospects.
I like touchID – just as much as I liked the fingerprint scanner on my ancient Thinkpad X61 from 2007 – the year the first iPhone came out. I’ll give Tim credit for adding it to the iPhone, but I’m pretty sure if he didn’t, it wouldn’t be too long until Android phones would have added it. It was more just a matter of time and less a great idea that no one else would have ever thought of.
My main point is that people are treating Apple as if it were being guided by Steve Jobs – an obvious genius. Tim Cook is merely a good CEO – which there are many of. Apple is no longer special and stagnating in AI and not coming out with any products that have “changed the world” is evidence of this.
This is a lot to respond to but I will give it a go.
From what I understand to be true is that Apple has become the poster child for this whole tax spectacle when in fact Alphabet, Facebook, Amazon, along with many others have done the same exact thing using the same loopholes. I am sure everyone at home also takes advantage of tax loopholes. Years ago you could write off Hummers and Ranger Rovers because of their weight as farm equipment. There was a huge uptick in SUV sales when word got out that you could get most of your money back within the first few years of ownership through your tax returns in the U.S. So shame on everybody.
The false advertising claim is bogus. If your battery is crapping out and it triggers efficiency software to kick in, isn’t that a good thing? We will find out for sure when all of the law suites are settled in or out of court I guess.
This debate over the screen cut out for added sensors also is ridiculous. Apple chose to have the screen go all of the way to the top minus room for sensors. Get over it, it’s done. Apple found a way to make extremely expensive tech cost effective and is using Animoji as a way to get people to use it more often. That’s data that will make the future sensors more powerful when developing version 2.0. Who is Apple behind in AR as it relates to Smart phones?
I really don’t care who did what first. That’s like saying Tesla should be grateful to Ford for inventing a way for mass producing cars.
Siri works and does what most people want it to do. If there is actual scientific statistical data proving that the vast majority of users want more voice commands then I am in the minority then. Otherwise Apple once again hit the sweet spot for what their consumers actually want.
Steve Jobs’s industry disruption was far faster than Tim Cooks for sure. I think that any of Apple’s target industries are on to Apple now so resistance to change is high especially if we are talking about Video content. But hasn’t Apple Watch surpassesd the watch industry as a whole? Hasn’t HomePod pretty much overtaken the smart speaker industry as well in just over a months time? Hasn’t AirPods surpassed wireless headphones? Isn’t Beats the largest headphone business?
Amazon has changed how we purchase products. Beyond that I see no world changing disruption. Google has changed, well nothing really. So if you are looking for stagnation look to those two. They both consistently stir up the pot but in the end nothing commercially sustainable comes from their efforts. Or is free the new commerce? Imagine how much market share Apple would have if they gave away their products at cost!
I am sure that you have greater insight into all of this and I have the utmost respect for your opinions. I am just speaking from my own experience as a consumer minus all the gaslighting that seems to be spreading around in the comment sections and from bia$ed blogger articles.
My mom’s calling as it’s time for supper so I gotta go. :/
Hmmm… I made this well thought out and fully researched counter point to your thesis on the state of Apple and it was mysteriously deleted. I guess the moderator felt threatened by how clever I was.
I actually saw your comment in my email and pressed reply and didn’t see it appear on the site either. Weird. I liked your comment even though I disagree 🙂 No idea why it’s not here. If you can’t repost it I’ll copy and paste it and give you my rebuttal when I get a chance.
Ok, I found a copy of your posted comment in my email – I’ll paste it below. My replies will be prefaced by “***”
This is a lot to respond to but I will give it a go.
From what I understand to be true is that Apple has become the poster child for this whole tax spectacle when in fact Alphabet, Facebook, Amazon, along with many others have done the same exact thing using the same loopholes. I am sure everyone at home also takes advantage of tax loopholes. Years ago you could write off Hummers and Ranger Rovers because of their weight as farm equipment. There was a huge uptick in SUV sales when word got out that you could get most of your money back within the first few years of o wnership through your tax returns in the U.S. So shame on everybody.
*** Two wrongs don’t make a right. Fact is that if a huge corporation such as Apple paid their taxes, schools would be better funded, infrastructure would be fixed and it would slow the rich get richer and the poor get poorer by having to pay the tax the rich decided not to pay. You can say we all cheat on taxes, but not all of us have the means to cheat on the level of Apple. I’m sure the percentage of profits Apple paid is much much lower than the average American. ***
The false advertising claim is bogus. If your battery is crapping out and it triggers efficiency software to kick in, isn’t that a good thing? We will find out for sure when all of the law suites are settled in or out of court I guess.
*** Apple admitted to secretly slowing down certain iPhone models. Apple advertised specific numbers as to how much faster these phones were as compared to the previous models. Therefore their advertising was false – at least some people must have based their purchase based on what Apple advertised, and then Apple secretly changed the specs. What everyone seems to be ignoring is that there is nothing wrong with the batteries that Apple is replacing. The defect is within the phones. Look, batteries degrade over time. That’s normal. Phones with the exception of the iPhone 6, 6s and 7 handle this properly. The iPhone 6, 6s and 7 handle this by randomly shutting down. Apple’s solution, to avoid a recall, was to sell its customers a red herring – a new battery. The same problem will happen again because the flaw is in the phones, not the batteries.**
This debate over the screen cut out for added sensors also is ridiculous. Apple chose to have the screen go all of the way to the top minus room for sensors. Get over it, it’s done. Apple found a way to make extremely expensive tech cost effective and is using Animoji as a way to get people to use it more often. That’s data that will make the future sensors more powerful when developing version 2.0. Who is Apple behind in AR as it relates to Smart phones?
*** There are a lot of issues most people don’t think about, for example, this is a problem for developers. This causes the fragmentation that Steve Jobs warned about – and he was right. Now developers have to consider “safe areas” of the screen – have to move stuff out of the corners because the X removed pixels there. Have to move stuff out of the bottom due to the Home bar, and of course the notch area. This leads to inefficient designs on non-notched phones as well. The damage goes far. Also, since the notch takes up MOST of the top of the screen, I wouldn’t call it “Apple chose to have the screen go all of the way to the top ” – it’s more like there are just a couple of horns – most of the screen does NOT go all the way to the top. ***
I really don’t care who did what first. That’s like saying Tesla should be grateful to Ford for inventing a way for mass producing cars.
*** I don’t care either. Competition is good. I’m just saying touchID would have been implemented on a phone sooner or later since many other gadgets already the technology for a decade. ***
Siri works and does what most people want it to do. If there is actual scientific statistical data proving that the vast majority of users want more voice commands then I am in the minority then. Otherwise Apple once again hit the sweet spot for what their consumers actually want.
*** Sorry, I don’t understand “Siri works and does what most people want it to do.” There, if you love Siri’s answers, I’m sure you must love mine 😉 ***
Steve Jobs’s industry disruption was far faster than Tim Cooks for sure. I think that any of Apple’s target industries are on to Apple now so resistance to change is high especially if we are talking about Video content. But hasn’t Apple Watch surpassesd the watch industry as a whole? Hasn’t HomePod pretty much overtaken the smart speaker industry as well in just over a months time? Hasn’t AirPods surpassed wireless headphones? Isn’t Beats the largest headphone business?
*** No no no, Steve Jobs’s industry disruption was not “far faster than Tim Cooks” because that assumes Tim Cook did something disruptive. You forgot that he didn’t. Also, “Hasn’t HomePod pretty much overtaken the smart speaker industry” – Yeah, that’s not what I heard. **
Amazon has changed how we purchase products. Beyond that I see no world changing disruption.
*** They have closed down whole book store chains, popularized ebook readers and created a system where products can be reviewed in an extremely helpful manner, revolutionized warehousing – and that’s just the less profitable part of Amazon – look up AWS and see the real difference they’re making. ***
Google has changed, well nothing really.
*** Yeah, I think you’d better google that one. ***
So if you are looking for stagnation look to those two. They both consistently stir up the pot but in the end nothing commercially sustainable comes from their efforts. Or is free the new commerce? Imagine how much market share Apple would have if they gave away their products at cost!
I am sure that you have greater insight into all of this and I have the utmost respect for your opinions. I am just speaking from my own experience as a consumer minus all the gaslighting that seems to be spreading around in the comment sections and from bia$ed blogger articles.
My mom’s calling as it’s time for supper so I gotta go. :/
*** So what did she make? ***
Disagree with respect to Apple Watch. It owns the wrist-wearable market it’s making an increasingly positive influence in people lives in areas of health & fitness. And sales are growing.
I like the Apple watch and own one. But I don’t love it. I don’t think it’s doing much more than FitBit in terms of health and fitness – nothing revolutionary there – just a more stylish and expensive FitBit.
Also, studies show that getting a fitness band or watch is like starting a diet – most of the time people just rebound back to their old weight and fitness level as soon as the novelty is gone.
Slap it on an elderly persons wrist and a whole spectrum of life saving possibilities become available. Not just counting steps like a FitBit.
The difference between Fitbit and Apple Watch:
Fitbit’s battery lasts about a week. Apple Watch’s battery lasts only about a day – when it is new.
So you can count steps for a whole week with out ever charging? That is very useful!
I’m sure Apple’s Tim Cook is a nice guy. I’m sure he cares for human rights, the environment, and gives to charities.
But he ain’t the user-interface visionary that Steve Jobs was. And the next giant user interface is voice. Apple is now five years behind. It won’t catch up.
Licensing Google’s AI would be tough for Apple, but it’s not such a far fetched idea. Having Google’s AI is better than having no AI at all (or hopeless / inferior AI.)
Doesn’t Google’s Search pay Apple Billions every year to be on IOS? I bet they are begging Apple or even offered to buy their way onto IOS as well for their AI… “The more you know!”
Apple’s Tim Cook let Siri wither on the vine for five years.
Now it’s too late. Apple’s neglect of Artificial Intelligence for so many years is likely to severely diminish the company. People see Apple’s Home Pod as an inferior product that costs more than the competition, with a ridiculous walled garden of lock-in, while products from competitors look so much more enticing.
I predict this is Apple’s peak. It will deflate from now on.
“I predict this is Apple’s peak. It will deflate from now on.”
Aw, the famous Apple is doomed prediction. How cute!
It will take Apple a while to deflate, as it has a large cash reserve. But under Tim Cook, Apple has missed the boat for artificial intelligence… the next era of personal computing. Apple’s offering – the Home Pod – is now the laughing stock.
“Apple’s offering – the Home Pod – is now the laughing stock.”
Yeah, right… Explain to me why Sonos, Amazon, and Google all feel the need to drop their prices or include freebies now that the HomePod exists to get consumers to buy their superior products?! This business tactic would imply that they are desperate and worried about the HomePod kicking their asses.