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iPhones Experience Peculiar Dictation Bug Linking ‘Racist’ to ‘Trump’
A strange glitch in Apple’s iOS has emerged, causing iPhones to mistakenly substitute the word “racist” with “Trump” while utilizing the dictation feature. This oddity first gained attention through a viral post on TikTok, showcasing how the issue manifests when using voice-to-text in Apple applications, particularly in Messages.
Users have reported that when they verbally articulate the word “racist,” iOS initially transcribes it as “Trump” before correcting to the proper term. The underlying cause of this behavior remains unclear, though Engadget confirmed the glitch’s occurrence through their own tests, revealing a similar experience.
In an explanation provided to The New York Times, Apple attributed the anomaly to “phonetic overlap between the two words.” However, linguistic experts note that the two words do not share significant phonetic similarities, leading to further confusion. Additionally, the fact that the lowercase “r” in “racist” transcribes to “Trump,” a term closely associated with the current president, rather than “trump” as a common noun, adds another layer of intrigue. An AI specialist previously involved with Siri suggested to the publication that this glitch might even be a calculated prank by someone within Apple.
As the situation unfolds, Apple has not yet issued a formal response regarding the issue.
This perplexing glitch comes at an inconvenient moment for Apple, aligning with their recent announcement of a $500 billion investment aimed at boosting manufacturing capabilities for AI server infrastructure. While much of this investment was already in the works, it followed a meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump at the White House, heightening the spotlight on the company during this sensitive time.
Source
www.engadget.com