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The new Siri voice tested as part of the iOS 15.4 beta released on Tuesday was reportedly recorded by “a member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Photo: pexels
Apple Axiosna based on the information you provide based on the videos shared online, the new sound – in the iOS beta is simply “5. referred to as ‘voice’ – less clearly masculine or feminine than earlier English-language options.
The company did not provide further details. The final version of the audio is expected to be made available to the public in a few weeks via a software update.
The new voice is part of an effort initiated by Apple to diversify Siri’s voice selection. Last April, the company added two Siri voices recorded by black actors.
The company also stopped making a female voice the default for Siri, instead prompting users to choose from multiple male and female voice options.
The move comes in response to a report by a UN agency that said the default use of female-voiced virtual assistants “increases the risk of spreading problematic gender stereotypes and normalizing one-sided, command-based verbal interactions with women.”
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