Friday, October 4, 2013

Woman says she's the voice of Siri, hears herself on other devices

Woman says she's the voice of Siri, hears herself on other devices

The woman, Susan Bennett, is a voice actor from suburban Atlanta, and recorded the voice for Siri in 2005.
Apple's Siri might have finally found its voice.
Susan Bennett, a voice actor from suburban Atlanta, told CNN in aninterview published on Friday that she's the voice behind Siri. To confirm her claim, CNN worked with an audio-forensics expert who claims with 100 percent certainty that the voice of Siri is, in fact, hers.
The story behind Siri's voice starts in 2005, when Bennett was asked to recite words, phrases, and other "nonsensical" things in her home studio. She claims that she recorded her voice for four hours each day for a month. It wasn't until 2011, however, that Siri made its appearance on Apple's iPhone and a friend called her to point out that the personal assistant's voice sounded just like hers.

Siri is by no means the only place Bennett claims we can hear her voice. She says that she has recorded a wide array of voiceover recordings for companies, including Delta Airlines. Her voice can also be heard on GPS devices and other electronics.Apple has yet to confirm that Bennett is the voice behind Siri, and it's common practice in the voiceover industry to not reveal the people behind respective products. Such a move is designed to leave all of the focus on the products and not the voice talent.
With the launch of iOS 7, Bennett is no longer the only voice for Siri. Now users have the option to choose a male voice instead of the female option. But Bennett doesn't seem concerned with being thrust into obscurity.
"I began my career as a machine many years ago," Bennett told CNN. "I'm sure that you hear my voice at some point every day."

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