Siri, Apple's voice assistant (illustration).

-

Geeko

The latest version of iOS will feature two new voices for Siri.

The voice assistant will no longer default to a female voice, as was the case until now in the United States, reports

TechCrunch

.

These changes are already present in beta version 14.5 of Apple's operating system.

Now, users will be able to choose right from their device setup whether they want a female or male voice for Siri.

Selection will be possible in 16 of the languages ​​supported by the device.

Sexist biases linked to voice assistants

Until then, the Siri settings assigned by default to the voice assistant a female voice in the United States and a male in France, recalls

Numerama

.

This change will therefore have an impact on millions of users.

He intervenes at a time when the biases and sexist stereotypes that can lead to the emphasis on a female voice have been studied for years.

As early as 2006, a study published in the

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

showed that the trust placed in a voice assistant varied according to the themes addressed and the gender of the voice.

A male voice was considered more credible on technical matters while a female tone was taken more seriously in the realm of romantic relationships.

Planet

Apple: More than a hundred suppliers of the firm will switch to 100% renewable energy

High-Tech

Apple Expands List of Independent Repairers Worldwide

  • High-Tech

  • gender equality

  • Siri

  • Apple

  • Sexism