From Siri to Alexa, many of the most well-known voice assistants have been assigned a gender.
But that could be set to change, thanks to a new gender-less voice named “Q”.
Researchers from Virtue Nordics and Copenhagen Pride, have developed what they believe is the world’s first gender-less voice. Q was created in the hopes of improving inclusively in voice technology, and its creators are urging tech firms to use Q in their smart assistants.
Watch this video to hear “Q” speak.
To develop the gender-less voice, the researchers recorded five voices that don’t fit within male or female binaries. Using voice modulation software, these voices were moved into a gender-neutral range. These altered voices were then tested on more than 4,600 people, who were asked whether the voices sounded more male or female. Based on these answers, the voices were modulated and tested again, before choosing the perfect gender-less voice for Q.
Susan Saunders 3/13/19
