Usually, “Apple limits beta testing mostly to internal users and selected developers. It can get away with this because the real-world combinations of Mac or iOS hardware and software are orders of magnitude simpler than in the Windows world,” Steven Wildstrom writes for Tech.pinions.
“Siri is very different. The artificial intelligence engine behind the service lacks any inherent understanding of language. It has to be trained to make connections, to extract meaning from a semantic jumble,” Wildstrom writes. “To even get to the databases and search tools Siri uses to answer question, it first must contract a query from the free-form natural language that humans begin mastering long before they can talk, but which machines find daunting.”
Wildstrom writes, “The secret to machine learning is feedback. I expect that Siri carefully logs every failed query, along with what the user does next. And algorithmic analysis of those logs, combined perhaps with some human intervention, means that every mistake contributes to the process of correction. In other words, Siri learns from its errors and the more people use it, the faster it will get better.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
All new tech has a path it follows …. Create the tech and test and refine as well as possible…. Release the tech to users and observe, learn and modify tech based on real world usage, …. Continue to repeat step two….
Siri’s shortcomings after just step one should be understood and expected… If this was the 3rd or 4th go around with step 2 some whining might be in order…. But we have not even reach step 2… These people, who call themselves tech analysts obviously have missed TECH 101.
Star Trek communicator style here we go!
http://scifipulse.net/2010/07/new-trek-communicator-app-ready-to-beam-into-your-iphone/
@ “… the more people use it, the faster it will get better.”
… given sufficient bandwidth to support a quick response…otherwise, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
This is the major concern. I can understand communication errors at this stage but when Siri does know what you mean it should give you a quick answer. Right now it often takes so long that it is unusable for many people and they may soon give up or stop using it as frequently, which will defeat the whole purpose of the beta testing. Apple needs to seriously beef up their servers. Think about how many more people are expected to be using Siri in the very near future.
Siri, learn to say this …. “Obama is a moron and a failure. We dump the Dud next year”.
Siri … “Obama is a moron and a failure. We dump the Dud next year”.
Now you’re takin!
User…. “Who put this country into such mess?
Siri…. “George W. Bush and the morons that keep voting Republican”
Snap!
When will the current administration and the “smart” voters start to take credit for their failed policy? Maybe 2 yrs after they are voted out and a republican fixes there socialistic economic mess they have failed at. Then they will say its all Obumer’s plan it just took time 🙂
Whatever you might call American politics one thing it isnt is ‘Socialistic’, is there such a word indeed. Right wing and moderately right of centre form the rest of the Worlds perspective of it.
you mean like Cheney taking credit for the death of Bin Laden.
When will you partisans zealots realize that both parties are corporate owned and do not represent your interests?
Obama is no progressive, and Newt is no conservative. It is clear as day.
Wake up, fundamental change is needed, not partisan bickering. We are ALL being fleeced..
Wildstrom’s article is one of the best and most insightful that I have read about Siri and the significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. He is correct: Siri learns. That is why a public beta is so important. Please don’t grumble about Siri’s performance – that will improve, and rapidly. Any of you who are parents were astonished by your child’s rapid ability to learn to speak and comprehend. That Siri can do this is significant, the result of over 40 years of advanced research.
The future will be amazing. And it’s coming faster than you know.
Why is this all coming out now? Users and pundits alike were giddy about Siri when it came out. Now, two months, later, it’s suddenly crap? What the hell?
——RM
Skynet learns to talk human-speak.
Did the author of the article ever actually use a Newton? The Newton did indeed get better with usage. When I was using it regularly I rarely had problems with its handwriting recognition. When it did misinterpret my writing it was easy to correct its mistakes.