Siri honored at Deaf Alliance Charity Ball

Apple CEO Tim Cook says “we are proud to represent the Deaf community with an AI that Deaf people can relate to”

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Tim Cook has always been about inclusiveness. In 2015, the tech giant won the hearts of disabled people everywhere by teaching his beloved AI that all it takes to start a conversation with a disabled person was a simple 'Hi'. However, this broad approach left one group starkly alone and marginalized: the deaf community. "'Hi' wasn't good enough for a deaf person, we felt like our needs weren't being heard. And if the deaf can't be heard, what then?" said Craig Johnson, a Hard of Hearing programmer who helped the Earmold obtain actual facts.

Since that time, Siri's voice recognition software has been getting more and more inaccurate, transcribing things like "pull this cord" to "pubic sword". While most of the world thought this was simply another example of how Tim Cook seeks profit over innovation, this humble AI accidentally found a new niche among the very community it had accidentally marginalized.

In 2017, Mr. Johnson noticed this and began an email dialogue with Mr Cook that ultimately resulted in Siri getting exponentially worse in 2018. "I told Tim that Siri was like my deaf friend when everyone else was busy or away. She screws up most of what I say and for a moment, I feel like I'm back with the guys from the deaf club at the Y. It's great"

Tim Cook told the Earmold that "Apple takes inclusion very seriously and, following my relationship with Mr. Johnson, I decided to make Siri more relatable to the Deaf community"

This long journey comes to a fascinating conclusion as Mr. Cook accepted the inclusiveness award for his decision to make Siri more relatable. 

When asked how she felt about getting the Award for Deaf Representation, she had this to say. 

Classic.