The Sound of Silence: What We're Not Saying About Siri and Her AI Gal Pals :: UXmatters

Ask most UX design professionals why they opt for female voices, and they'll usually cite practicality. They'll say that user research proves that everyone wants to get information from a woman, but the data doesn't actually bear that out. Or they'll argue that men and women hear female voices more clearly--again, a view that the numbers do not support. They may throw their hands up in frustration, claiming that the voice's gender is simply a matter of stakeholder preference they have to design around. While stakeholder preference might sound like a perfectly good reason at first, it hides an ugly reality.