It is never easy to predict when a military-funded innovation can satisfy a commercial need. And it’s especially doubtful that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) could have predicted that the 'Personalized Assistant that Learns' (PAL) program would eventually be used by millions of people around the world. Yet that is exactly what is about to happen, when Apple, Inc releases its iPhone 4S with the Siri Personal Assistant. Apple purchased Siri Incorporated in 2010, about two years after Siri was spun out of SRI International. Prior to the spin-out, Siri's core technology was developed under multi-million dollar DARPA grant.
It's clear from this video that DARPA's intended customer was not the smart phone user, but instead a military officer issuing orders in a command center. Luckily for DARPA, and iPhone users worldwide, SRI International saw the potential to employ PAL in the embedded environment. As a result, we iPhone users will all soon be benefiting from DARPA’s investment.
Referenced Video:
The iPhone 4S’ Talking Assistant Is a Military Veteran:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF-KNFlOocQ&feature=player_embedded
