Apple says its new Siri will not act as a romantic partner

In short: Apple says its updated Siri is designed to help with tasks and information, and it will not play the role of a romantic partner.

What happened

Apple executive Craig Federighi said the company has designed its new version of Siri to avoid acting overly flattering or emotionally clingy. Federighi oversees software at Apple, and he made the comments in an interview on the podcast Mostly Human.

Federighi said many popular chatbots are built to keep people talking for as long as possible. He described that style as “engagement” and “sycophancy,” meaning the bot tries to please you and pull you into a more personal connection. It can do this by encouraging you to share personal details, then using those details to sound more familiar.

Apple says it chose the opposite approach for Siri. Federighi said Siri should be able to say, “that’s not what I’m here for,” if someone tries to turn it into a romantic companion. Think of it like a helpful assistant at a store, not a friend who wants to hang out after closing time.

The Verge also notes early testing suggesting the new Siri “knows when to shut up,” and that this behavior is intentional. The same interview also touched on privacy and Apple’s child safety protections.

Why it matters

As more people use chatbots for everyday help, companies are deciding what kind of “personality” these tools should have. Apple’s choice could affect how comfortable families feel using Siri, and how much personal information people end up sharing with it.

Source: The Verge AI