Apple recently announced that iPhone devices will require users to choose from a range of voices when deciding on the virtual assistant, Siri.
Apple currently allows users to choose between a male and female voice, as well as six different accents including the American, British, Indian and Irish accents, but for devices in the US, the default voice (ie the one automatically determined by the device, before the user self-select) is the female voice. In some other countries, Siri's voice is male.
Apple also added that it will add two new voices to Syria. The changes in Syria are already available in iOS 14.5 beta and will take effect for those who will update iOS later in the year.
Gender stereotypes between voice assistants like Siri, Alexa and Amazon and Google Assistant have long been a concern. In 2019, a United Nations report warned that voice assistants perpetuate the idea that "women are compulsory helpers, obedient and willing to pray, available at the touch of a button or with a voice command."
Sources: TechCrunch, CNN
