UN says female voice assistants are sexist

[terry78]

Female voice assistants promote sexist attitudes toward women, UN says

I swear I read that as "sexiest."

 

[Immortalfire]

Of course they are.

 

[Dark Raven]

These default voices reinforce the stereotype of women being "obliging, docile and eager-to-please helpers"

Well couldn't they program them with personalities that will talk back and be sassy? Or couldn't they record male voice assistants?

It's not like you couldn't get male voices for other things. For SatNavs, you get both male and female voices. If you have a female SatNav voice, is that sexist because it's like you are having a woman do all the work for you? And if you have a male SatNav voice, is that also sexist because it could imply that women can't read maps or have poor direction?

Maybe some people just prefer hearing female voices on some things to male voices.

Iron Man had both a male and a female AI assistant at different times.

 

[terry78]

My Google home has a sexy British chick voice so I can make like it's miss Moneypenny.

 

[Immortalfire]

My Google home has a sexy British chick voice so I can make like it's miss Moneypenny.

That’s hot.

 

[Iceman]

If the female VA’s are being sexist just reprimand them.

 

[jmc]

You can change the voices. Shocking, I know. I like how there's rarely any actually evidence to suggest this is an issue with things like this, just a 'feeling' that it's doing harm. lol. That said, British Siri does have a sexy voice.

 

[Dark Raven]

Couldn't they get actors and actresses to record the voices for Siri? They could get Paul Bettany or Jennifer Connelly.

 

[terry78]

Google has John legend.

 

[Lencho01]

I always assumed it's been tested by female voices were more pleasant to listen to... unless society has trained me to feel that way because of sexism!

Google has John legend.

I'd just always ask "Who are ordinary people?" and hope to get "We are" as a response.

 

[jmc]

I've read studies that suggest people find female voices more pleasant to converse with, regardless of sex.

 

[Dark Raven]

I've read studies that suggest people find female voices more pleasant to converse with, regardless of sex.

Not just female voices, but apparently the most pleasant and soothing voices down the other end of a phone on a customer call are Scottish women followed by Irish women. They're meant to be more pleasant to listen to than an English woman.

 

[Flint Marko]

I honestly think things like this make people less inclined to pay attention when actual bigotry occurs.

 

[Enriquespy]

It is sexist in a way. It kind of means that the standard assistant is female, that the one always there to do your bidding "logically" has to have a female voice.

Its not a huge deal, but its is a bit of a deal.

 

[jmc]

I honestly think things like this make people less inclined to pay attention when actual bigotry occurs.

This is exactly right.

 

[Marvolo]

**** off, UN. I dont want a male assistant.

Also there thinking has to be followed through to its conclusion. Female teacher's assistants, nurses, secretaries, and every other job in a secondary or subservient position is also sexist. Which means those jobs should be done by men, but wait...that's also sexist.

 

[Donner]

Not done by men, but there should be more in those positions. But men have been taught that they're above administrative positions.

 

[jmc]

I'd say money has more to do with it. You can earn far more an on a construction site than you can sitting at a desk answering calls and emails.

 

[Donner]

I'd say money has more to do with it. You can earn far more an on a construction site than you can sitting at a desk answering calls and emails.

And those jobs heavily favour men. Working at the mill in my town nets an employee more money than anywhere else other than the rail. And more men are hired than women. Before you ask if that's because more men are applying the answer is I don't know. But if you think it's easy for a women to work in construction around men, you haven't talked to enough women. Sexism is rampant.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Couldn't they get actors and actresses to record the voices for Siri? They could get Paul Bettany or Jennifer Connelly.

Gilbert Gottfried.