The new Siri voice being tested as part of the iOS 15.4 beta released on Tuesday was reportedly recorded by “a member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
It's Apple For Axios Based on the information you provide based on videos shared online, the new sound – in iOS beta is simply “5. It is referred to as the 'voice' – and is less pronounced in terms of masculine or feminine than previous English options.
The company did not provide further details. The final version of the audio is expected to be available to the public within 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 the female voice the default voice for Siri, and instead prompted 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.”
