Siri

Overview

Siri is a virtual assistant developed by Apple Inc. for its iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS operating systems. The assistant uses voice recognition and natural language processing to interpret and respond to user requests.

A close-up image of the Siri interface on an Apple device.

History

Siri was originally introduced as an app for iOS in February 2010, and it was acquired by Apple two months later. Siri was then integrated into iPhone 4S at its release in October 2011. At that time, Siri was a groundbreaking technology — it was one of the first digital assistants to be integrated into a major smartphone.

Functionality

Siri uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of Internet services. The software adapts to users' individual language usages, searches, and preferences, with continuing use.

Technology

Siri's speech recognition engine is provided by Nuance Communications, a speech technology company. The voice assistant uses advanced machine learning technologies, including convolutional neural networks, long short-term memory, gated recurrent units, and n-grams.

Reception

Upon release, Siri received mixed reviews. It was praised for its voice recognition and contextual knowledge of user information, including calendar appointments, but was criticized for requiring stiff user commands.

Privacy

Apple states that Siri voice data is encrypted and sent to Apple's servers, but the company does not keep the data linked to the individual iPhone.