Over the years, Siri’s voice has been the subject of several controversies, ranging from issues of bias, representation, and privacy concerns to disputes over voice actor recognition.
Some Key Controversies Related to Siri’s Voice
Siri’s Gender and Bias Concerns
- Default Female Voice – When Siri was first introduced in 2011, the default voice was female in many languages, leading to criticism that AI assistants reinforce gender stereotypes (e.g., women being in subservient or assistant roles).
- Male Voice Addition – Apple later added a male voice option, but it wasn’t until iOS 14.5 (2021) that users were given a choice of Siri’s voice during setup, rather than having a default female voice.
- Non-Binary and Diverse Voices – Apple has since introduced more diverse voices to avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes, including more natural and less robotic-sounding options.
Voice Actor Controversy – Who Is the Real Siri?
- The original Siri voice (2011) was recorded by Susan Bennett, a professional voice actor.
- Bennett wasn’t aware her voice had been used for Siri until Apple launched the assistant. She later confirmed her role in 2013, saying she was never officially credited or compensated beyond the original recording session.
- Apple never publicly acknowledged Bennett as the original Siri voice, leading to debates over fair recognition of voice actors in AI technologies.
Regional and Accent Issues
- Siri’s voice and accents have been criticized for inconsistencies in different regions.
- Some users reported that Siri had difficulty recognizing certain dialects and accents, leading to frustration among non-native English speakers.
- Apple has since expanded Siri’s voice options with improved regional accents and better recognition of diverse speech patterns.
Privacy Concerns – Human Review of Siri Audio
- In 2019, a major controversy arose when it was revealed that Apple hired contractors to listen to Siri recordings as part of quality control.
- Many users were unaware that their private conversations with Siri were being reviewed by human workers.
- Following the backlash, Apple updated its privacy policies, allowing users to opt out of Siri voice recordings being stored or reviewed.
The Siri voice controversy highlights important discussions around AI bias, gender stereotypes, voice actor recognition, privacy, and regional inclusivity. Over time, Apple has addressed some of these concerns by improving Siri’s voice diversity, transparency, and user privacy controls. Yet, the evolving role of AI in voice technology continues to spark debates in ethics and representation.