The original voice of Apple’s Siri was provided by Susan Bennett, a professional voice actor from the United States. Her voice was first used when Siri launched in 2011, but Apple never officially credited her.
Who Is Susan Bennett?
- Susan Bennett is an American voice actress and singer.
- She has done voice work for GPS systems, commercials, and corporate messaging.
- In 2013, she publicly confirmed that she was the original voice of Siri.
How Did She Become Siri?
- In 2005, Susan recorded thousands of hours of phonetic phrases for a company called ScanSoft, which later merged with Nuance Communications.
- Apple used Nuance’s voice technology to develop Siri, which is how her recordings became the voice of Siri without her knowing.
- Bennett was never directly hired by Apple and didn’t realize her voice was being used for Siri until the launch in 2011.
Why Did Apple Change Siri’s Voice?
- In 2014, Apple updated Siri’s voice to a more natural-sounding AI-generated voice, replacing Susan Bennett.
- Apple later introduced multiple Siri voice options, including different accents and genders.
- Since iOS 14.5 (2021), Apple no longer has a default Siri voice; users choose a voice during setup.
Who Voices Siri Now?
- Apple has not officially disclosed the identities of newer Siri voices.
- The current Siri voices are generated using advanced AI and machine learning rather than relying on a single voice actor.
Susan Bennett was the original voice of Siri, but Apple has since moved to AI-generated voices for a more natural and customizable user experience. Siri’s voice will likely continue evolving with advancements in artificial intelligence.