Apple will change its autocorrect tool so that it no longer translates one of the most commonly used swear terms to “ducking.”
Although iPhone users can turn off autocorrect, the device’s factory settings modify the word automatically.
“When you just want to type a ducking word, the keyboard will learn it, too,” said software CEO Craig Federighi.
He made the announcement at Apple’s developer conference in California.
While texting, autocorrect can be useful in substituting a reasoned replacement for a misspelt word, but it can also unintentionally modify the meaning.
iPhone users may become irritated by having to rewrite their own texts, leading to the phrase “damn you autocorrect” becoming an abbreviation, a joke, an Instagram account, and even a song.
The modifications will be brought about by artificial intelligence (AI), in which autocorrect will improve at anticipating your next words and phrases by learning the terms you frequently use, including profanity.
A transformer model is the AI that makes this possible. It learns context by employing mathematical approaches to track correlations in data, such as the words in this sentence.
Transformers, first identified in a Google paper in 2017, are among the most powerful classes of AI models.
As the technology underpinning AI has advanced rapidly, autosuggest – or predictive text – systems are becoming increasingly common.
The autocorrect feature will be included in the iOS 17 operating system upgrades, which are set to be released as a public beta in July and a full release in September.
It should imply that the new function is also included in iPadOS 17.
Apple also announced an augmented reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at the developers’ conference, which will cost $3,499 (£2,849).
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the new headset “seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world.”
It will be available in the United States early next year, and in other nations later in 2024.
On Monday, Apple’s market worth surpassed $3 trillion, setting a new business record.
