Typing AI assistants might be a better option

There’s a time and place for everything. In the privacy of my home, I have no problem saying “hey” to Google, Alexa, Siri, Meta, and sometimes Bixby. But in public? Where other people can see me? I’d rather hide under a rock.

This has been one of my biggest problems with AI gadgets over the last few months. Everyone agrees that the best way to interact with AI assistants is to actually to talk For them, it’s just like a movie His. In reality, I rarely see my friends and family using their phone’s assistant when we’re spending time in private. Never in public. So it felt like a small “aha!” moment when during its WWDC keynote last week, Apple mentioned that iOS 18 would let you type to Siri instead.

Technically, you can already do this through the iPhone’s accessibility settings. (Go to Accessibility > Siri > Type to Siri.) This brings up a fairly simple window and keyboard for you to type a command. But in iOS 18, Apple has adapted this feature, letting you bring up the Siri keyboard by double-tapping the bottom of the screen. You’ll also be able to see quick suggestions that you can simply tap instead of having to type (or say) the full query.

There are several reasons why this makes sense. Although digital assistants have gotten better at understanding commands, it’s still hard to talk to them naturally. At home, when I use the wake word, I feel like I’m affecting a certain pitch and tone. I find I’m already thinking about how I want to word a query. Despite myself, I still sometimes make the mistake of asking Google to turn my living room lights down to 25 percent brightness. If I have to do this in public, I feel even more uncomfortable.

It is very noisy outside as well. During the test Multimodal AI features of Ray-Ban Meta smartglassesI was often told by the AI ​​that the glasses couldn’t hear me well. Either there was too much noise around me, or I was subconsciously so embarrassed that I spoke too softly, causing the device to not understand me clearly. This frustrated me so much that, in turn, I had to pull out my phone – which was the exact opposite of what the AI ​​hardware wanted from me.

It’s not just about the newest AI gadgets. Talking into a smartwatch is cool if you’re James Bond. Most of us aren’t like that. If anything, I see most people doing it being a little confused and frustrated. Is it pointless? Yes. But self-consciousness is a big reason why people might be hesitant to experiment with voice-controlled assistants when they’re out and about. 2018 PwC survey A study on voice assistant use found that while 74 percent of consumers prefer using voice assistants at home, participants said using them in public “just feels weird.” In the same survey, a lack of trust was identified as another major barrier to using voice assistants in general — people simply didn’t trust that voice assistants would be able to understand commands correctly. If experience tells you that an AI assistant likely won’t understand you, why would you try to use it in a place where you’re more likely to be judged? (Also, imagine saying “Hey Siri” and activating your fellow passengers’ iPhone. New nightmare unlocked.)

Beyond the technical logistics, typing to your AI assistant also gives you more privacy. I don’t need people to know what I’m doing on my phone, even if it’s something like playing a song or setting a timer. I especially don’t want to type text out loud when other people can hear me. Typing queries like this allows me to keep my work to myself — and for that, I’m willing to sacrifice some hands-free capabilities.

I am not denying that there are many reasons why you might do this. need to talk to an assistant, even in public places. Voice commands are especially useful when you can’t use your hands or are driving a car. But having multiple ways to interact with AI assistants allows them to fit more seamlessly into the way we use our gadgets — rather than forcing everyone to adopt a new paradigm. Maybe one day, it won’t feel weird to talk out loud to a chatbot while walking down the street. For most people, that day isn’t today. And until that time comes, I’ll happily type to Siri.