Siri is evolving to be gender-neutral! Apple’s virtual assistant now has a new gender-neutral voice. According to Apple, the latest Siri voice, which is currently being tested as part of the iOS 15.4 beta, was recorded by a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
The new Siri voice is less obviously male or female, and it is part of Apple’s efforts to diversify its virtual assistant’s voice offering. Siri only added two options recorded by Black voice actors last year.
“We’re excited to introduce a new Siri voice for English speakers, giving users more options for choosing a voice that speaks to them,” Apple said in a statement to Axios. If you’re a beta tester for Apple, the new gender-neutral voice is available as option 5 in the Siri UI menu as part of iOS 15.4, which was released to developers and the general public on Tuesday.
The final version of the gender-neutral Siri voice is expected to be released in a few weeks as part of a software update. A few months ago, a United Nations agency issued a report claiming that default female-sounding virtual assistants could perpetuate “problematic gender stereotypes” and normalise “one-sided command-based verbal exchanges with women.”
Siri was initially only voiced in female tones and was programmed to not only perform “wifely” tasks like checking the weather or setting a morning alarm, but also to respond flirtatiously. Hundreds of YouTube videos with titles like “Things You Should NEVER Ask SIRI” have extensively documented Siri’s use of sexualized phrases (which has more than 18 million views).
