You might not know the name Susan Bennett, but you’ll absolutely know the name Siri. Back in October 2011, when Apple released the first-ever iPhone, Bennett provided the voice for the company’s virtual assistant.
Siri’s original American, British, and Australian voice actors — which included Bennett — recorded their respective voices around 2005 for ScanSoft, unaware that the recordings would eventually be used for Siri’s debut. Additionally, Siri originated as an app available in Apple’s iOS App Store, but was eventually integrated into the iPhone 4S. Ever since, Siri has evolved along with every year’s newest iPhone release.
Susan Bennett was born in Burlington, Vermont, in 1949. Not only is she one of the world’d most famous voice actors, Bennett also worked as a backup singer for Burt Bacharach and Roy Orbison. Bennett’s voice has been used for numerous purposes, such as the public address system in all Delta Air Lines terminals worldwide, GPS navigation software, and several company commercials, including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Ford.
As of June 1, 2023, Bennett has a net worth of approximately $5 Million. She provided the voice of Siri until the iOS 7 update in September 2013. Contrary to popular belief, Bennett was never compensated for her work, as Apple used her pre-made recordings without her prior knowledge.
Bennett doesn’t seem to mind all that much, however, as she told Insider she’s “enjoyed being Siri.” In the same interview, Bennett spills the beans on how Siri came to be.
“I got a gig to record for ScanSoft, an interactive voice response company, now called Nuance. I thought the script would consist of regular sayings, like ‘Thanks for calling,’ or ‘Please dial one.’ Instead, I had to read nonsensical sentences like ‘Cow hoist in the tug hut today’ or ‘Say shift fresh issue today’ — they were trying to get all of the sound combinations in the English language. They also had me read the names of addresses and streets.”
She also speaks out on the mistreatment of voice actors, especially the voices behind AI systems.
“I think a lot of people don’t even consider that there are human beings behind AI voices, or that a real person recorded it and deserves to be paid.”
Siri’s voice has been updated several times over the years, so Bennett can finally ask Siri her burning questions without immediately cringing.
