Apple trying to fix dictation bug that replaces ‘racist’ with ‘Trump’
Donald Trump. (Getty)
Apple has said it is currently trying to fix a bug in its voice-to-text function that caused the word “racist” to be replaced with “Trump.”
The glitch went viral on TikTok after a user trying the speech-to-text tool noticed that Donald Trump’s second name appeared after saying the word “racist.” Other social media users have also shared videos that show the bug in action.
In a statement on the issue, an Apple spokesperson said: “We are aware of an issue with the speech recognition model that powers dictation and we are rolling out a fix.”
It said that the issue came from a phonetic overlap in which words with the “r” consonant appear before the “intended word” is identified.
The glitch has reportedly caused outrage among far-right pundits and supporters of Donald Trump, who have accused Apple and other tech companies of a bias against right-wing people.
It also comes amid Apple’s attempts to cosy up to the President’s administration, including honouring a commitment to spend $500 billion in the US over the next four years.
According to FT, much of the company’s bid to partner with the Trump administration comes from tensions with EU tech regulators, who are seeking to mitigate alleged market power abuses in the region, as well as trade tensions with China.
The investment, Apple says, involves creating a factory in Texas for artificial intelligence servers that would create nearly 20,000 research and development jobs in the country. However, the integrity of Apple’s AI tech has been called into question following the ‘Racist/Trump’ glitch.
It also follows a vote by Apple’s shareholders to reject recommendations by conservative non-profit organisations to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
The proposal was put forward by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), a conservative think tank that wants the iPhone and Mac manufacturer to ditch the initiatives because such policies allegedly expose the company to legal and financial risks.
Chief executive Tim Cook said in a statement that, while he believes the company “may need to make some changes” around its policies, the company was committed to keeping them.
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