Susan Bennett’s contribution to technology might not be widely recognized by her name alone, but her voice has become an integral part of the digital experience for millions around the globe.
As the original voice of Siri, Apple’s groundbreaking digital assistant that launched with the iPhone 4s in October 2011, Bennett has inadvertently become a familiar presence in the lives of countless users.
Susan Bennett: The Unexpected Voice of Siri
Susan Bennett’s journey into becoming the voice of Siri started back in 2005, long before the iPhone was unveiled to the public. She was employed by a company that would later be known as Nuance Communications, tasked with recording her voice for four hours each day.
These sessions involved making nonsensical sounds and phrases, which were then manipulated—sped up or slowed down—to craft what would eventually become the iconic voice of Siri.
But back to Susan Bennett, aka Siri. As this TikTok from @jackbandy explains, Apple did, for a time, admit that the voice of Siri was Susan Bennett—but only if you explicitly asked Siri who Susan Bennett was: pic.twitter.com/hWcT1ZX82h
— Mar Hicks (@histoftech) May 17, 2021
In an intriguing twist of fate, Bennett didn’t realize her voice was being used for Siri until after the iPhone 4s release. “I got a phone call from a fellow voice actor in 2011 saying ‘We’re playing around with this new iPhone 4s. Isn’t this you?’ and I went…Whaaat,” Bennett shared. Originally, she thought her recordings were destined for mundane phone messaging systems, not realizing they would become part of a revolutionary tech wave.
Voice Recognition: More Than Just Sound
The role of a voice actor in technology often goes unrecognized, and for a long time, this was the case for Bennett. In a candid revelation, she disclosed that the original group of voice actors for Siri did not receive compensation from Apple. It was only the subsequent group of voice talents that began to see financial returns for their contributions.
This disclosure comes amidst the backdrop of the recent public controversy involving OpenAI and actress Scarlett Johansson, where Johansson accused OpenAI of mimicking her voice for its digital assistant “Sky.” The issue highlights the complex dynamics of voice usage in technology, where legal and ethical considerations are increasingly coming to the forefront.
Siri’s Evolution and the Future of Digital Assistants
As digital assistants like Siri continue to evolve, the tech community is eagerly anticipating the next developments. Apple has hinted at significant upgrades for Siri, expected to be unveiled at the upcoming WWDC Keynote on June 10th. These enhancements are part of Apple’s broader AI initiatives, aiming to refine and expand the capabilities of its digital assistants.
Susan Bennett’s story is a fascinating glimpse into the early days of voice technology and the personal narratives intertwined with technological advancements. As we look towards the future, the contributions of voice actors like Bennett remind us of the human element that remains at the heart of technological innovation.
