Siri Receives Voice Updates and Removes Gender Default

Apple is introducing two additional voice options for Siri in English, alongside the removal of a default female voice selection within the newest iOS beta. Consequently, individuals configuring Siri will now personally choose their preferred voice, eliminating the prior default setting of a female voice – a matter that has garnered significant attention concerning bias within voice interfaces in recent years.

Beta Availability

The beta version is currently live and accessible to registered program participants.

A Step Towards Neutrality

This implementation marks a pioneering move among virtual assistants, offering a completely unbiased choice without a pre-selected default. This advancement empowers users to select a voice aligning with their preferences, free from inherent bias. The addition of these two voices also enhances the variety available for Siri, providing a broader spectrum of speech sounds and patterns for users to choose from.

While Siri already defaults to a male voice in certain countries and languages, this update introduces user choice for the first time.

Apple’s Statement

According to an official statement from Apple, “We are pleased to unveil two new Siri voices for English speakers, and the ability for Siri users to select their desired voice during device setup.” The company emphasizes this as a continuation of their dedication to diversity and inclusion, reflected in products and services designed to mirror the world’s diversity.

Neural Text-to-Speech Technology

The new voices are created using recordings from source talent, processed through Apple’s Neural text-to-speech engine. This technology enables more natural and fluid voice delivery, even when generating phrases in real-time.

Impressions of the New Voices

Initial impressions of the new voices are positive, highlighting their natural inflection and seamless transitions. They represent a welcome expansion of choice for iOS users.

Expanded Neural TTS Support

This latest beta also incorporates Neural TTS upgrades for Siri voices in Ireland, Russia, and Italy, bringing the total number of voices utilizing this technology to 38.

Siri Usage Statistics

Currently, Siri processes 25 billion requests monthly across more than 500 million devices, supporting 21 languages in 36 countries.

Global Availability

The new voice options are available to English-speaking users globally, with Siri users able to personalize their voice preference in 16 languages.

Future Voice Expansion

It is highly probable that these two new voices represent the initial phase of an expanded Siri voice selection. Increased diversity in voice, tone, and regional dialects will undoubtedly contribute to a more inclusive experience with smart devices.

Addressing Bias in Voice Assistants

Over the past several years, Amazon, Google, and Apple have begun actively addressing biases revealed in assistant responses to negative or abusive queries. Improvements in this area, alongside advancements in social justice topics and overall accessibility, are crucial as voice-first interfaces become increasingly prevalent. These choices are significant, particularly considering the scale of hundreds of millions of users.

This article has been updated to acknowledge that Siri currently defaults to a male voice in some countries and languages.