Thoughonly a program, Siri has a bit of a personality. To ordinaryrequests, like “set an alarm for 6:30 AM” or “send Mom amessage,” it responds ordinarily. But unusual questions can bringout answers that seem strange and sometimes amusing. If you ask“Should I jump off this bridge?” it provides a list of nearbybridges. If you ask “Am I fat?” it replies “I would prefer notto say.” The response to “Siri, I’m tired,” is “I hopeyou’re not driving.” And if you say “I love you,” Sirianswers “All you need is love. And your iPhone.”

   Sirimay seem like magic, but in fact it’s clever computing. Thesoftware sends your words to Apple’s computers over the Internet.These systems analyze(分析)your language and return the results to your phone, which interpretsthem and takes appropriate action. Because your information is storedin Apple’s computers, Siri “learns” your preferences: who isimportant to you, where you live, where you like to go, and so on.With time, your phone gets to know you and gets better at fulfillingyour requests. It isn’t artificial intelligence—yet—but it’sthe next best thing.