Only in India: Siri hears ‘Call Mummy’ at airport and dials a stranger’s mom

Even the small AI tools we use every day can sometimes do unexpected things. A recent incident at New Delhi airport has gone viral and shows this clearly. A simple command was misunderstood by technology in a public place, turning an ordinary moment into something awkward and quite funny.

A routine command, but the wrong outcome

Atul Kumar Mishra, a founder from Patna, shared his experience on X. While at the airport, his phone was connected to a public charging station along with other iPhones. As he pulled out his earbuds, he casually said, “Hey Siri, call Mummy.”

Instead of his phone responding, a nearby iPhone picked up the command and dialed a contact saved as “Mummy.” Mishra wrote, “Lo and behold, a different iPhone heard me. Lo and behold again, it actually dialled ‘Mummy’ on that phone. Because of course, half the country stores their mother’s number under that name.”

Awkward moments followed quickly

Although Mishra immediately disconnected the call, the situation had already caused confusion. “I immediately disconnected. But damage was done. ‘Mummy’ had seen a missed call and promptly called back. I couldn’t answer. I didn’t even know whose phone it was,” he said.

The awkwardness continued when the phone’s owner returned. Mishra added, “Ten minutes later, a young man walked up from a nearby seat, picked up the phone, and began explaining patiently to his mother that he had not called her. Awkwardness, delivered by Apple.”

Siri’s voice recognition under scrutiny

Reflecting on the incident, Mishra highlighted a problem with Siri’s voice recognition. “Siri used to recognise its master’s voice. Now it recognises everyone’s. Bad upgrade,” he said.

Social media reactions

The story caught the attention of users online. One user wrote, “Whenever I hear stories of such mishaps, it reminds me that AI isn’t going to replace people anytime soon. Only a human can understand how Siri can cause such awkward situations in a culture where many of us use the same endearments for family.”

Other users shared humorous takes. “Oh man, why am I seeing this just before buying an iPhone?” one person said. Another added, “Alexa is perhaps more pathetic!”

Some shared practical advice. “I always save numbers by names. No nicknames. Easy to remember names then,” one user suggested. Others simply enjoyed the story: “This is hilarious,” one comment read.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the individual user and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Times of India. The incident is shared as narrated on social media and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)