Kagan: Why are Apple HomePod and Siri such negative thinkers?

We’ve been talking so much about artificial intelligence in wireless, but one thing we haven’t touched on is getting AI to synch with the way each of us think. Each of us is different. Some of us are positive thinkers and others are negative Nellies. Some see the glass as half full. Others, half empty. AI must connect with each of us in our own way or it will fail, just like Apple Siri is doing right now.

Example, many of us are very positive thinking people. We always look at a glass as half full. And we would like to feed our brain and body with that kind of thinking. Positive energy. That has always worked for us throughout our lives. When we encounter a negative-thinking person, we generally steer clear just to keep our attitude high.

Will Apple HomePod Siri be negative like on iPhone and iPad?

Why then does Apple think it’s OK for every user to get the same, negative-thinking and commentary from Siri? In fact, why the heck is Apple mixing commentary with AI in the first place?

What am I talking about? Let me give you an example.

Siri, what’s the temperature? Siri says, Brrr, it’s cold outside. Temperature 50 degrees. First of all, 50 degrees is not cold. Second, that was cute in the early days, but we use AI all the time today and after a while it can be like seeing or hearing the same old television or radio commercial, over and over and over again.

With advertising, we turn to another station rather than hearing that sound grating on our mind. We don’t just sit and take it. We take action, action away from the source. This has long-lasting negative impact on the advertiser and the radio or television network. Not good for radio. Not good for Apple.

Apple HomePod should stop negative Siri thinking

This is basic AI. Communicate with each human the way they think. Apple should understand this and stop being a negative Nellie before they hurt themselves, which is already starting to happen. Especially with the Apple HomePod making its debut.

AI in the general marketplace all started with Siri. Then Google Now. Today there is Google Home, Amazon Echo, Microsoft Cortana and countless others are jumping in very quickly. This busy AI marketplace is advancing very rapidly. Is Apple Siri making these significant advancements? You might not think so if you are a user. Why?

Every time we use Siri, we are forced to deal with this negative thinking. I fear the same thing with happen with the new Apple HomePod. On the iPhone, Apple gives us no choice with Siri on the home button. We can either turn it ON or OFF. Why can’t we choose the app we want on the home button? This is the iPhone we paid for, right?

If we are stuck with Siri on the home button, why then can’t Apple get it right? Why can’t Siri use it’s AI to determine whether we want to hear positive or negative words? That’s what AI is all about right? Artificial intelligence. They have collected enough information on us for so long they know who we are. However, Apple does not seem to care about giving us what we want. That is a recipe for disaster.

At the very least, settings should give user choice between positive or negative

At a minimum, Apple should at least give users the power to choose. In the settings mode we can choose whether we want to hear a male or female voice for Siri. Why can’t we also choose a negative or positive thinking Siri? Is that too much to ask? Better yet, no opinion. Just give us the information. Period.

There must be a fix. Something. Anything. I just want to scream. If the temperature is 15 degrees, I agree, it’s cold. However, there are two points I want to make on this.

One, we don’t care about the opinion of a computer. Just the information please. We will decide how to interpret it.

Two, when it was 15 degrees yesterday and today it’s 50 degrees, we think it’s a beautiful day. Siri should use it’s AI to understand that point. To understand us. Yet Siri still says, Brrr, it’s cold. 50 degrees. Oh really!!!

That’s such negative thinking. We don’t want this in our lives. Who the heck does this machine think it is? Who do Apple executives think they are? How can they be so intrusive? What gives them the right?

When we use Google Home it just gives us the information we want… the information we asked for. Period. No commentary. However, its more time consuming to use Google on iPhone. First, we have to enter our security code, then turn on the screen, then press the Google icon. Using Siri is easy. Just press the button.

Don’t you think users should be able to control their devices they paid for?

Two types of AI, personal assistant and general

When we think about AI, there are two types. One is a personal assistant, and the other is general. When we call a company and talk to their AI system, that’s general. However, when we use Siri, that’s personal. Or at least it should be.

Apple wants Siri to become our pal. Our personal assistant. Fine. I don’t have a personal assistant. However, if I did, and if my personal assistant was a negative Nellie, first I would never hire them and second, if I did, I would fire them. I can’t pollute my brain with negative thinking. Yet I am forced to do just that with Siri.

Want more? It’s not just the temperature. It’s the entire weather function. When you ask Siri for the weather this week, it looks for the negative, even if it’s days away. The forecast will say sunny and beautiful for several days, then a cold day with snow or rain three days from now. What does Siri say? It seems to search for the one lousy day and offers comment on that.

What about all the beautiful weather this week? Why focus on the one lousy day next week? This is Siri’s problem? Why is it such a negative Nellie? It’s really grating on my nerves. If I could, only rip it out of my iPhone and stomp it into the dirt. Ok. Ok. I’m Ok. Just saying.

Sure, people are different. There are positive and negative thinkers. I understand that. However, if a company wants to connect with everyone, they had better create an AI that connects with each on their own terms. If not, they will lose.

If AI can do that, why doesn’t Apple do it with Siri? This should all be an automatic process. Don’t you think Siri is AI and it should be able to understand you based on your input over years of use. Of course, they can. Siri is simply badly programmed.

At the very minimum, Apple should do is give us the ability to choose attitude as well as voice in the iPhone, iPad or MacBook settings. Is that too much to ask? You know, positive or negative as well as female or male.

How good is Apple Siri AI if they can’t get this right?

If Apple can’t tell the difference if users are positive or negative, then how good can Siri, their AI really be? OK, AI is still in its early days and no doubt this will be fixed, some day. However, this is a basic slice of the AI pie and it should be done right, now. This should not have been a problem to begin with.

Apple should be ashamed. Why are they screwing with the value of their brand relationship with the user by making this mistake?

Don’t get me wrong. I use and like the iPhone along with others, and Apple does plenty right. However. If they want to win in AI going forward, they had better fine tune Siri or they will lose competing with Google, Amazon.com and others in this escalating race.

So, Apple, get your act together. Users don’t want your negative attitude. They know this is just a computer. Just AI. And they don’t want the negative attitude. They just want information. Just saying. Are you listening?