Apple: So sorry about Siri

Don't worry, it's just contractors listening in on your conversations with Siri. Or.. is it? Apple is now hiring more people for its Siri Speech team than ever, and some will be going through data collected from, ostensibly, those very same conversations. Here's what we found on this this morning. #alternativedata #nlp #deeplearning

Apple has apologized for letting contractors listen to commands that users give to its voice assistant Siri. The company is now promising changes, including allowing users to opt in to human review or their recordings rather than that being the default. Other companies including Google have also temporarily paused this practice amid scrutiny. For Apple, the stakes are especially high as the company has continuously tried to position itself as a privacy-focused company. https://lnkd.in/e3xMetm

Apple apologized for privacy mishaps surrounding its Siri voice assistant and said that it would no longer retain audio recordings of Siri interactions, among other changes. The announcement follows criticism of the iPhone maker and other technology giants for employing humans to listen to recordings of user interactions with voice assistants in a bid to improve the product. Apple had hundreds of contractors listening to Siri in a process called “grading,” but the company suspended the program a few weeks ago after some consumers raised concerns. It plans to reinstate the practice after making a few changes in software updates this fall that will give users more control over their privacy. Users will be able to opt in to allow the company to listen to a select bunch of anonymized audio samples in order to improve Siri, and then be able to opt out of the program later if they wish. In another change, Apple said only its own employees would listen to audio samples, rather than outside contractors.

Mashable update: Apple apologizes for Siri privacy fail, makes audio recording 'grading' opt-in - Apple's apologizing...again. This time, the company is sorry not because a highly anticipated product is canceled (RIP AirPower), but because it failed to properly disclose to customers that it used contractors to listen to a small portion of their Siri audio recordings (which can be accidentally activated) to help improve the accuracy and quality of its digital assistant. Uncovered by The Guar...

Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop keeping audio recording through Siri unless consumers give their permission.

At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. We design our products to protect users’ personal data, and we are constantly working to strengthen those protections. This is true for our services as well. Our goal with Siri, the pioneering intelligent assistant, is to provide the best experience for our customers while vigilantly protecting their privacy. Read more about Siri changes... #apple #siri #privacy

On the plus side, this is yet another illustration that Apple does listen to what its customers want...