Apple TV Users Could Soon Hear a Big Improvement for Siri with New Beta
Apple is reportedly testing new voice AI skills for Siri, a move that has been substantiated by a recent Apple blog’s code finds. Although this new natural language Siri is only available for random testers of the new operating system version, the news still surprised some experts since previous media reports suggested that Apple wasn’t focused on a voice AI project. Even during the internal AI summit in Cupertino, Apple didn’t seem to react to the success of ChatGPT and other AI programs. However, the New York Times spoke with a former Apple employee who worked on developing Siri years ago, and their sentiments suggest that creating the software is too challenging for a forced change.
Codename Bobcat with TVOS 16.4
Apple news blog 9To5Mac has revealed that the current beta version of tvOS 16.4 already contains new Siri improvements thanks to the creation of natural language with artificial intelligence, dubbed Codename Bobcat. This framework is likely to be available soon for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and HomePod devices but isn’t yet released. The module is only activated server-side. Currently, the new Siri comes into play when telling jokes and setting timers as a test. It isn’t clear whether the new Siri will be introduced soon or if it’s simply an experimental test.
Siri’s Hiding Place
Apple TV’s operating software may be a good hiding place for testing new functions. The software versions rarely contain many new features and hence receive less attention than bigger devices like iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macs. With Siri Remote, Apple TVs and HomePods would benefit most from a much-improved voice interface. However, experts warn users not to expect anything on par with ChatGPT just yet. Still, a much more flexible speech recognition would be a significant leap forward. At present, Siri is template-based, which means users have to speak to the assistant in a certain way to get results. Siri isn’t very flexible when it comes to feedback and often explains that it can’t help or that users should search the web. With an AI in use, that could all change.
