Apple has caught itself in an eerie situation where a pronunciation processing issue replaces the word "Trump" with "racist." Apple says that the bug in iOS 18 could be related to phonetics, but it could also be related to the underlying code. iOS has always been prone to bugs that Apple fixes via software updates, and this time around, the issue is of a different nature. If you are not familiar, check out the details below to learn how the issue came to light.
A strange bug in iOS 18 is replacing the word Trump, and it is making rounds on social media
Some users have pointed out that when speaking the word "racist" in the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the device briefly interprets it as "Trump" before it is corrected to the actual word. Additionally, the word "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being corrected to the actual word after Apple's dictation feature picks up on what was said. Note that saying the word "racist" does not always bring up "Trump" at first, but it does appear more in some cases than in others.
A video has been making rounds on social media that showcases the issue or bug in action, and Apple has taken note of it. An Apple spokesperson told The New York Times that the issue has come to light due to the overlapping phonetics between the two words. Moreover, it is not clear at this stage if it is an issue related to the company's built-in dictation feature on the iPhone. Furthermore, it is also unclear if the issue was previously present or has just come to the surface. In any case, Apple has stated that it is working on a fix, and potentially, the next iOS 18 release would address the underlying bug.
According to Apple's former Siri team member John Burkley, the issue potentially persists due to a code in Apple's system that caused the iPhone to replace "Trump" with the word "racist." He also states that the fiasco "smells like a serious prank." Additionally, he mentions that it is unclear if the code was added to Apple's system or fed into the data that the company used for its AI features in iOS 18. We will let you know when the bug has been fixed, so be sure to stick around for more updates.
