Apple Siri

2020: Apple sued for violating patent rights for Xiao-i voice assistant

On August 3, 2020 it became known that kitayskayashanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co. owning the patent for the voice assistant in China submitted the legal claim to Apple. Xiao-i's voice assistant has a technical architecture similar to Apple's Siri. More details here.

2019

Apple will no longer listen to default Siri audio recordings

Apple told^[1] to users about new changes in Siri's voice assistant. Now the audio recording function of voice commands will work only with the permission of the user, and only Apple employees will listen to audio data. The feature will work for users on all devices and will take effect in the fall of 2019 Apple^[2].

Until recently, wiretapping audio recordings by default was part of Siri's usual behavior. When the user launched the voice command, Siri recorded it as an audio file and uploaded it to the Apple server, where contractors checked the recordings as part of the Siri quality assessment program called "call grading."

Apple sued for listening to conversations of Siri users

In the United States, a Siri voice assistant user sued Apple over listening to voice requests. The tech giant has been accused of violating California's privacy laws, which prohibits recording conversations without permission.

A resident of the city of San Jose, who sued Apple, is the guardian of a minor, both use iPhone. The plaintiff also accuses the company of making false statements to Congress in a written response to a request to protect confidential user data, RIA Novosti reports.

Apple's user agreement stipulates that a person gives permission to record by activating Siri's voice assistant with the words "Hey, Siri," but the person who goes to court claims that activation can also come from other sounds, in particular, from the sound of a fastening lightning or when raising his hand.

Siri records consultations with doctors and sex. Apple contractors listen to this

At the end of July 2019, it became known that Apple is attracting third-party companies to study conversations recorded by voice assistants. Moreover, contractors often have to listen to very private conversations, for example, diagnoses made by doctors, negotiations on commercial transactions, sounds during sex, etc.

Apple listens to conversations and intimate scenes of Siri users

These records are accompanied by user data showing the location, contact data and data from the applications, "one of the former employees of the Siri wiretapping company told The Guardian.

According to him, user interactions with Siri are sent to special workers who listen to recordings and evaluate them according to several criteria. For example, you need to evaluate whether the record was intentional or false positive. It should also be noted that provoked the activation of the system.

The interlocutor says that Siri begins recording after the phrase "Hey, Siri," but can do this even after pronouncing similar words or even under the influence of thunder. In the case of the Apple Watch, the voice assistant is automatically activated when the user raises his hand and begins to say something.

Apple confirmed the fact of wiretapping the conversations of Siri users and explained this by the company's desire to improve its service.

A small portion of Siri requests are analyzed to improve Siri. User requests are not associated with an Apple ID. Siri's responses are analyzed at protected sites, and all reviewers are required to comply with Apple's strict privacy requirements, Apple said in response to a publication in The Guardian.

Meanwhile, the interlocutor of the publication says that there is a high probability of data leakage, since Apple partner companies are constantly updating staff, so there is a risk that an attacker who huddled among employees may abuse the confidential information received.^[3]

2018: Siri is the most popular voice assistant in the United States

As of May 2018 USA Apple , Siri is the most used voice mobile assistant.

2010: Apple acquires Siri Inc

In 2010, Apple acquired the results of Siri Inc's research for an amount that was not disclosed.

2007: Startup Siri Inc

In 2007, a study to create a virtual secretary (see below) was paid in the form of a startup Siri Incorporated.

2000: DARPA directs Stanford Institute to develop a virtual secretary for the military

In 2000, seven years before the first iPhone appeared, the Department of Defense Office of Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) commissioned the Stanford Research Institute to develop a kind of proto-Siri, a virtual secretary to help military personnel. Twenty universities were involved in the project, and they worked hard on technologies that would bring to life a voice-activated virtual assistant.