Apple device users in the US might be accustomed to hearing a female voice when using the Siri feature. That’s because the company’s US products typically default to the female voice option. According to CNN, Apple announced today that it plans to stop defaulting to the female-sounding voice. Instead, when users are prompted to set up the virtual assistant, they will be offered a variety of options.
Roomies, you might be surprised to learn that some of those options are at your fingertips right now! Apple currently offers the choice between a female or male voice, along with six different accents. The accents include American, Indian, South African, British, Irish and Australian. Along with the default change, the company plans to add two new voices for English speakers. The additional changes can already be found on devices with the iOS 14.5 beta software update. New Apple device users won’t experience the default changes until it rolls out later this year.
The company’s decision to ax the default setting comes from concerns over long-time gender stereotypes about women being natural helpers.
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“This is 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,” Apple said in a statement.
This isn’t Apple’s first time trying to appeal to our changing world and what modern representation looks like in it. In February, the tech giant embraced Black History Month with a limited edition Apple Watch meant to represent the Pan-African flag. The watch received a makeover that included a new band and face in the combined colors of black, green and red.
At the time, Apple announced that a portion of the proceeds would be donated to several civil rights organizations. Black Lives Matter Support Fund as well as the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund were among the list.
Additional support for Black History Month came in the form of an app store hub highlighting Black-owned businesses and curated content on Apple Music.
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