Apple has acknowledged a bug in its voice-to-text feature that briefly suggested the word “Trump” when users dictated words containing an “r” consonant, including “racist.” The issue gained traction after iPhone owners shared videos on social media demonstrating the glitch, prompting Apple to release a statement confirming a fix.
According to various videos, when users activated the dictation feature and said the word “racist,” the text window initially displayed “Trump” before correcting itself. Apple explained that its speech recognition model sometimes suggested words with phonetic overlap before displaying the intended word. The Associated Press, however, was unable to replicate the issue a day after it surfaced.
Apple Responds to Backlash
In response to mounting concerns, Apple assured users that the bug was not intentional and that a fix was being rolled out. “We are aware of an issue with the speech recognition model that powers Dictation, and we are rolling out a fix today,” the company stated. Apple further clarified that the problem extended beyond the word “racist,” affecting multiple words containing an “r” consonant.
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A former Apple employee who worked on artificial intelligence development speculated that the glitch may have been a prank, telling The New York Times, “This smells like a serious prank.” However, Apple did not provide additional details on how the issue originated or whether it was an internal error or an external interference.
Political and Media Reactions
The glitch quickly became a political talking point, with right-wing commentators seizing on the issue to criticize Apple. Meanwhile, some media outlets framed the incident as a reflection of broader concerns about Apple’s artificial intelligence capabilities, particularly following the company’s recent $500 billion investment announcement. The Guardian noted that the timing of the controversy raised questions about Apple’s AI reliability.
Fox News pointed out that the dictation feature did not consistently substitute “Trump” for “racist” and, in some instances, suggested words like “Reinhold” or “you.” However, the outlet also referenced a previous incident involving Amazon’s Alexa, which was accused of favoring then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Apple’s Broader AI Challenges
The controversy emerged just as Apple announced plans to invest over $500 billion and hire 20,000 workers in the U.S. over the next four years. Additionally, the company revealed plans to build a new factory in Texas amid threats from former President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on imports.
Despite Apple’s assurances, the incident has fueled skepticism about its AI and speech recognition technology. While the company has moved quickly to fix the error, it remains under scrutiny as AI-driven features become increasingly integral to user experiences. The dictation glitch serves as a reminder of the complexities and potential biases embedded in artificial intelligence, reinforcing concerns about corporate responsibility in the digital age.