Smartwatch Users Have A Big Issue With Apple's New AI Listening Feature

Apple's latest announcements are already causing a stir, with a new AI-powered feature found on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 leaving fans somewhat divided on how they feel about the upcoming devices as well as the features they offer. During its September 9th Special Event, Apple debuted not only the new iPhone Duo and iPhone 18, as well as the new Apple Watches, but it also showed off some of the features that will help the Apple Watches stand out among the competition, including two new features that rely on the watch to always listen: Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

These features are expected to hit beta in late 2026. Live Rewind will allow users to read through the last 15 seconds or so of a conversation, while Siri Recap will take things a step further by generating a summary of the conversation so that users can read back through it. It's a novel idea that can be beneficial, especially for users who suffer from hearing problems or even have trouble following conversations easily. However, the privacy implications have already led to some concerns around the potential usage of the feature.

While the features are all opt-in and words aren't attributed to individual speakers, some users have questioned just how valid an approach that is overall. "Opt in for whom?" one user asked on Reddit. They followed up the original question by asking whether or not Apple will get verification from everyone in the vicinity of the watch recording audio. Because even if you never own an Apple product, it's possible for your voice to be recorded and then processed by AI in some way with these new features.

That isn't the only rub people have with the feature. Some also found it unsettling and even borderline antisocial. Others commented that it will probably "work as well as live translate," another feature that Apple introduced that utilizes AI to listen to conversation and then play it back somehow. However, reports on Live Translate have been less than stellar at times. One big concern that a user shared is that it will further normalize the idea that tech is always listening to everyone.

There are already plenty of concerns about phones and smart speakers always listening to conversations, and there has been some research in the past that proved phones are spying on people. Phones are listening, but it's not because they're spying on you; it's how they respond to wake words like Hey Siri or Hey Google. The difference is that those features are only supposed to listen for specific keywords that they register. Everything else is just background noise. With Live Rewind and Siri Recall, the system is always listening to everything.

Despite many bringing up their privacy concerns, it's important to look at the full picture. Apple says that the audio used for processing is not accessible in any way and that it is deleted afterward. Apple has designed Live Rewind to provide an audible chime when it kicks off, as well as display a microphone icon on the device to show that it has been activated. Of course, this doesn't give the others around you a chance to actually disengage, but at least there is some kind of audible notification.

There is also the possibility that the AI gets something wrong, too, as AI is prone to hallucinations. In the past, the company has had to disable AI-powered features due to incorrect summarization, so it will be interesting to see how well Live Rewind and Siri Recap fare in comparison. Additionally, Apple notes that Siri Recap has been designed to completely exclude sensitive information, and that the Live Rewind text snippets as well as all the summaries created with Siri Recap are end-to-end encrypted when syncing with iCloud. So, if you are one of the many who might find the features useful for various reasons, you can at least rest easier knowing that there are some privacy protections in place.