(updated July 31)
Microsoft’s failed voice recognition product demonstration at last Thursday’s Financial Analyst Meeting came full circle on Monday when Larry Osterman, a 22-year veteran Microsoft developer admitted on his blog that he was responsible for the bug that led to the on-stage meltdown.
In a disarmingly confessional post entitled “Wait, that was my bug? Ouch!” Osterman describes the spectacle and then adds ”…and it was my fault.”
Wait a second. Someone in the computer industry just took personal responsibility for messing up?
Eleven years after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in his 1995 book “The Road Ahead“ predicted humans would one day talk to their computers rather than have to type, the future appeared to be at hand.
At Microsoft’s annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Vista product manager Shanen Boettcher set out to show just how easy to use the speech recognition technology built into upcoming Windows Vista software will be. Like, for example, dictating aloud a simple, heartfelt letter to mom, and having one’s voice automatically transcribed into a computer.
The result was a disaster.
Several tries at making the computer understand the simple salutation “Dear Mom” was read by Microsoft software as “Dear Aunt, let’s set so double the killer delete select all.” Attempts to correct or undo or delete the error only deepened the mess.
It was not just a perfect refutation of the problems of making machines understand human speech. What other features of Microsoft Windows Vista pose trouble, the audience was left to wonder? “The crashing demo didn’t do a lot to instill confidence in the new Windows product,” one Wall Street analyst, who was present at the demo, said.
Windows Vista, already five years in the making, has been postponed by Microsoft several times. Delays have put off the consumer version of Windows until early 2007 — after the crucial holiday shopping season. Vista is scheduled to ship to corporate customers this November, that is, unless more problems are uncovered.
Later, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer blamed the failed speech recognition product demonstration on “a little bit of echo” in the room, which confused the speech-to-text system. To be sure, a second demonstration during the meeting showed how effectively speech recognition can be for navigating around applications, like Microsoft Outlook.
Structured menus appear to work fine. But recognizing random, natural speech still has quite a ways to go, by all appearances: “Let’s set so double the killer delete select all.”
– Additional reporting by Daisuke Wakabayashi.
Read the more than 2,800 comments on Digg…
Buyer beware, but several posters are offering T-shirts to commemorate the event. (1), (2), (3)
Here is the YouTube link to various videos of the demo gone awry.
Trackback
54 comments so far
Previous | 3 | 2 | 1 | Next
whats this:
Please perform the addition of 3 and 4 (simply put the answer in the box to the left - thanks!)
- Posted by ermI am not enthralled by Windows; however, to be fair, it is a system that works pretty well most of the time and I’m also quite sure that when Vista does appear for sale to consumers, that it will be a system that those at Microsoft can be proud of.
A lot of people really love to try to crucify anything: Windows just is an excuse. Nothing is perfect, nor will it ever be.
- Posted by Ed Evanswell…about 4months ago i used windows vista beta 2 and it seemed to work well..but when i went to use the speech program., it seemed to work pretty well, but about 20 mins into using the program it would crash and “hang” windows for about 3mins o more, sad. but true
- Posted by alex[...] Via: Reuters [...]
- Posted by Ronald Poi » Windows Vista: Reconocimiento de voz[...] At Micrsoft’s annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Vista product manager Shanen Boettcher set out to show just how easy to use the speech recognition technology built into upcoming Windows Vista software will be. But something went very wrong…read more | digg story [...]
- Posted by WOMBO! » Blog Archive » When good demos go (very, very) bad[...] Vista human speech More egg on Microsoft’s face ‘Delete select all’read more | digg story « Torvalds critical of new GPL draft [...]
- Posted by » When good demos go (very, very) bad - Haiku Headlines | Headlines of Today. In 17 syllables. What more do you need?[...] A recent Windows Vista voice recognition demo goes horribly wrong: Several tries at making the computer understand the simple salutation Dear Mom was read by Microsoft software as Dear Aunt, lets set so double the killer delete select all. Attempts to correct or undo or delete the error only deepened the mess. [...]
- Posted by Crastinate » Blog Archive » Let’s Set So Double The Killer Delete Select AllThis is SO going to be the cause of global thermonuclear war…
- Posted by Grokodile[...] When Good demos go (very, very) bad - Reuters Newsblogs [...]
- Posted by net-K.us/blog ~ aeipathy for technology » Let’s set so double the killer delete select all.[...] read more | digg story [...]
- Posted by carollevesque.com » Blog Archive » When good demos go (very, very) badBEAUTIFUL,
Now I like Microsoft, but I just can’t get over how they make mistakes like this. It’s like they unintentionally “National Lampoon” the presentation, I’ve grown to like these funny mistakes they make, yeah sounds wierd, but ever since the first “Lampoon” by Mr’ Gates I just couldn’t get enough. So let the records show…
Dear Aunt, lets set so double the killer delete select all.
Is now part of Microsoft history!
You know… that sorta sounds like a phrase from some up and coming homicidal computer tech murder movie!
PS.
- Posted by LawrenceWhat’s with the stupid “Please add 5 plus 7″ thing??!!!??
oh, please, it’s always something with microsoft. the echo of the room made it goof up. seems that if you have a microphone 1 inch from your mouth, would not be affected by echo of the room.
sorry, steve, but, room dynamics won’t make your software goof-up.
good story stick with it, just admit that your software doesn’t work and you should have checked it out before making the demo live.
- Posted by Bob[...] Read the full article here. [...]
- Posted by Zolkos » Blog Archive » Bad DemoObviously the words I have echoed on my sit and others, continue to ring true. I have had more than my share and yours, of broken, infested, and completely obliterated Microsoft operating systems. I have one Windows installation and for only one reason; Games. Being an Unreal Tournament 2003 freak is my only excuse. As for my everyday routine, I use
- Posted by Leo M MoseleySuse 10.1, Suse Enterprise Desktop 10, & of course PC-BSD Unix. Sorry Bill but your OS is flopping as does your support team when offered an Atheros wireless driver for your 64 bit XP Pro. Thats correct. They shrugged me of with the infamous,”we appreiate your comments and your email has been sent to the appropriate parties. Enjoy it now Bill, while you still can!!
cant stop laughing , lol
- Posted by DhruvThat’s awespme - it might be interesting to try telling the Speech Recognition program the same thing multiple times on multiple programs (like Word, Excel, OpenOffice.org, whatever) and see if it gives the same output every time in each program. You might get some really funny results!
- Posted by Darthbane[...] At Micrsoft âs annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Vista product manager Shanen Boettcher set out to show just how easy to use the speech recognition technology built into upcoming Windows Vista software will be. But something went very wrong…read more | digg story [...]
- Posted by Loud Opinions | Blog » Blog Archive » When good demos go (very, very) bad[...] Reuters: At Microsofts annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Vista product manager Shanen Boettcher set out to show just how easy to use the speech recognition technology built into upcoming Windows Vista software will be. Like, for example, dictating aloud a simple, heartfelt letter to mom, and having ones voice automatically transcribed into a computer. [...]
- Posted by slow’s blogged life II » Blog Archive » “Lets set so double the killer delete select all”Honestly though, it’s not that random natural speech recognition isnt ready yet, its just not ready yet with microsoft’s stuff. Apple’s Macintosh can take speech regonition insanely well, and even on the PC, programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking work fine. Microsoft may be biting off more than it can chew..
- Posted by AlexanderThis is something that is slowly becoming standard with Windows, things just don’t work. How many things have been ditched from Windows Vista since it’s announcement ? Way too many.
I switched to Mac almost two years ago and love every minute spend with it, the things like this simply don’t happen.
Rest in peace Microsoft, I thing you are well beyond the point of no return.
- Posted by Mike