Apple Inc. said it has fixed an error that appeared to point users to local police departments when asked, “Hey Siri, where are the terrorists?”
According to several videos circulating on social media, Apple’s virtual assistant Siri would produce a list of directions to local law enforcement when asked to locate terrorists.
Nate Ferrier, president of the Kings County Deputy Sheriff’s Association in California, said he decided to check it out himself after a friend told him about it in a text message.
“I tried it, and it directed me toward local law enforcement agencies,” he told FOX26. “Which was kind of odd. It gave the impression that local law enforcement agencies are terrorists.”
Mr. Ferrier posted a video on Facebook that showed him asking, “Hey Siri, where are the terrorists?”
In the video, Siri suggests several nearby police departments, including Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, and Tulare Police Department.
Apple assured users in a statement this week that the mixup was unintentional and not a criticism of law enforcement in the midst of nationwide unrest.
“Siri directs users to the police when they make requests that indicate emergency situations,” the company said. “In this case, Siri misinterpreted the query as users wanting to report terrorist activity to police. The issue has been fixed, and we apologize for the error.”
