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Apple debuts new Siri feature users worry will be 'massive privacy nightmare'
With Apple’s latest phone event, ‘Surprise and shine’, currently underway, the tech giant has debuted a new feature that has some users concerned.
Apple just revealed that its newly revamped digital assistant Siri AI will be available as a beta version later this month.
Part of its launch will include the introduction of Audio Intelligence, an accessibility feature designed to help users to make sense of what they’re hearing.
The AI assistant will be able to listen out for sounds and be able to recognize various sounds including things like alarms, sirens, doorbells, and even a baby crying. It will also be able to replay parts of a conversation you just missed.
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While this has excited many fans, some have been left worried about what this might mean, with one person writing on Reddit: “audio intelligence about to become a massive privacy nightmare. thanks apple.”
Another added: “Wow so recording people 24/7.”
Despite this, Apple has confirmed that the feature will be secure and private for the user making use of the assistance, and even Apple won't have access to these recordings.
Siri AI will only be available on iPhones in certain regions
While Siri AI is set to join the iPhone in the coming weeks, it won’t be available everywhere and instead, will only appear on iPhones in certain regions.
First of all, the beta version will only be available in English, with other languages including French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish coming in October.
The AI assistant will also only be covering certain regions, as the EU and China will not be receiving the upgrade.
Details on the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
Apple's new CEO John Ternus announced during the event that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are set to hit the shelves and these new devices also come with upgrades.
Notably the new iPhone models will come with a new battery that could convince users to take the plunge for an upgrade - in fact - the battery life on the iPhone 18 is so impressive that it is purported to be the longest in iPhone history.
The iPhone 18 Pro comes with 36 hours of video playback on a single charge while the iPhone 18 Pro Max boasts a whopping 45 hours of video playback.
The prices of the latest iPhones have also been confirmed, with the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starting at $1,299.
Introducing the new device, Ternus shared in his keynote address: “I love the idea that the things we make help people be more creative, more productive, and maybe even do things they didn't think possible before. I love that we lead with our values and we infuse them into everything that we do. We obsess over the details.
“We care enormously about design and simplicity. We want our products to be incredibly powerful, but we also want them to be simple and natural and intuitive. And look, at the end of the day, we just want to make things that have a meaningful impact in people's lives.”