Alongside a number of other upcoming features, Apple has introduced a new gender-neutral voice option to the American Siri in an effort to expand diversity and inclusivity within their products.
The voice actor is reportedly a member of the LGBTQ+ community, although Apple has not revealed the name behind the voice, and iOS developer Steve Moser has confirmed that the new voice is currently filed under the name ‘Quinn’, which PinkNews suggests might be a nod to the Trans footballer and Olympic gold medallist.
“We’re excited to introduce a new Siri voice for English speakers, giving users more options to choose a voice that speaks to them,” a statement from the tech giant reads.
“Millions of people around the world rely on Siri every day to help get things done, so we work to make the experience feel as personalized as possible.”
iOS 15.4 Beta 4 changes 🧵: Apple adds a 5th American Siri voice with filename ‘Quinn’ pic.twitter.com/HFQZV1oF0I
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) February 22, 2022
This voice is currently in the beta-testing trial phase for iOS 15.4, released Tuesday 22 February, and is expected to be rolled out to the public as a new update in the coming weeks.
The gender-neutral Quinn will not replace Siri, but will be one of five voice options that users can choose from for their AI, including two options voiced by POC actors which came out last year.
Upon removing a female voice as the default and expanding the voice options for Siri, Apple said the new options were “a continuation of Apple’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion, and products and services that are designed to better reflect the diversity of the world we live in.”
It’s not yet clear if this voice option will become available in other languages, but for anyone who is now tempted to change the voice of their own Siri, you can do so by going into your iPhone settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. There, you can choose the voice that speaks to you the most.
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