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Apple Says It's Fixing Transcription Glitch That Transcribes 'Racist' as 'Trump'

Feb 26, 2025 - cnet.com
Apple has acknowledged a bug in its speech-recognition model that causes iPhones to incorrectly transcribe certain words, such as displaying "Trump" when users say words like "racist." The issue, highlighted in TikTok videos and reported by The New York Times, is attributed to "phonetic overlap" with words containing the consonant R. Apple plans to release a software update to fix the problem, although no specific timeline has been provided. The bug underscores the limitations and biases in AI language models, as noted by experts who emphasize the importance of trust and understanding in voice recognition technology.

The incident coincides with Apple's announcement of a $500 million investment in the US, which includes funding for Apple TV Plus content and the creation of approximately 20,000 new jobs. This development follows a meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump. Experts like Haibing Lu and Scott Stephenson have commented on the technical challenges and potential trust issues associated with AI-driven voice-to-text systems, highlighting the need for improvements in accuracy and reliability.

Key takeaways:

  • Apple is addressing a speech-recognition model bug causing iPhones to display "Trump" during voice-to-text transcription with words like "racist."
  • The issue is attributed to "phonetic overlap" with words containing the consonant R, and Apple is rolling out a fix.
  • Experts highlight the technical limitations and bias challenges in AI models, emphasizing the need for trust and understanding in voice recognition systems.
  • The bug news coincides with Apple's announcement of a $500 million investment in the US, including content creation for Apple TV Plus and 20,000 new jobs.
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