The computer was an audio interface program designed to allow computers to express information verbally. Many space-faring cultures, such as the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire and the Cardassian Union, equipped their computers with this feature.

Starfleet starships utilized computer voices by 2256, a feature which continued to be used throughout the 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries.

Most Starfleet computers utilized female voices.