Siri has an awkward black counterpart.
Google has announced Issa Rae as the new cameo voice of Google Assistant, following in the footsteps of John Legend. The new feature is available on any device with Google Assistant, including Google Home speakers, Smart Displays and on mobile for both Android and iOS. With the help of speech synthesis model WaveNet, you get to ask Issa just about anything you want.
Need the deets? Let me break it down for you, thanks to Google’s help:
To switch to Issa’s voice, simply say “Hey Google, talk like Issa,” or go to your “Assistant voice” in Assistant Settings. You’ll then hear Issa’s voice when you ask the Assistant for things like the weather forecast or for answers to questions like, “When’s the first day of winter?” You’ll also hear Issa’s voice when you’re in the mood for a joke—or when you’re seeking motivation—so you’ll get a message of encouragement when you need it most. Try asking your Assistant, “Hey Google…”
“Do I need an umbrella today?”
“Tell me a secret.”
“What do you think of me?”
“Give me a quote from Issa Rae.”
“Sing a song.”
“Tell me a joke.”
Or ask, “How do I look?” for a confidence-boosting affirmation.
But enough of those boring standard questions, you can also ask Google Assistant Issa about Insecure, as the technology also has Easter Eggs to enjoy.
You can touch on topics like, “What do you think about Lawrence?” “Do you love Daniel or Lawrence more?” Or, ask her to do that infamous “mirror talk” from the show. And yes, you can ask her to rap. Imagine Google Assistant rapping about “broken pussy.” Yeah, just imagine it, because I don’t think the Easter Egg goes that far. But, you won’t know until you try it. *wink*
Let me try: “Hey Google, we know Insecure comes back in 2020, but when is the exact date and time of the Season 4 premiere?” Oh wait, that’s not how it works…
Issa Rae’s Google Assistant voice is available in English for a limited time in the U.S.