Siri has received an important update, handling questions regarding sexual assault and other emergencies.

Apple Inc. and Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) joined together to formulate responses for the said critical issues. To improve Siri, Apple collected the phrases and keywords commonly received by RAINN via its online and telephone hotlines. In addition, the response system was updated to use language and phrases with softer connotations.

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The update came after the study done by JAMA Internal Medicine journal about four virtual assistant technologies – Google Now, Siri, Samsung’s S Voice, and Microsoft Cortana – and its lack of support for personal emergencies. The study’s authors say they have been in contact with all four companies to improve the responses. The authors recommended validating the user’s feelings and suggesting resources to help them decide what to do next.

Currently, Siri can now understand the “I was raped” and “I am being abused.” Apple is working with RAINN to craft the response and Siri responds with a link to the National Sexual Assault Hotline. The operation has started on March 17.

“The online service can be a good first step. Especially for young people. They are more comfortable in an online space rather than talking about it with a real-life person. There's a reason someone might have made their first disclosure to Siri,” Jennifer Marsh, vice president for victim services at RAINN.

Apple has been regularly updating its virtual assistant but when it comes to responding to social issues, the service has been facing problems. Earlier this year, Apple fixed a flaw in Siri’s response database to help users easily search for abortion clinics, adoption agencies and fertility clinics.

With the increasing number of human-machine interactions, virtual assistants like Siri might soon become a typical way for victims to report assault.

TagsSiri, apple, virtual assistant, Siri sexual assault