After a delay of one month, OpenAI is giving ChatGPT a human voice.
ChatGPT, which takes a written request and provides an answer based on what it knows from its training data, was previously limited to typed responses. As of Tuesday, a limited group of paying ChatGPT Plus subscribers now have access to another dimension of the AI chatbot: They can access four preloaded voices to talk to ChatGPT and get real-time responses.
Connected: OpenAI releases a new AI Chatbot, GPT-4o, that almost sounds like a friend
With voice mode, paying users can talk to ChatGPT, interrupt its responses, and have more natural, human-like conversations. Each voice “senses and responds to your emotions,” according to a Tuesday post on X from OpenAI.
We are starting to roll out advanced voice mode to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users. Advanced voice mode provides more natural, real-time conversations, allows you to pause at any time and feel and respond to your emotions. pic.twitter.com/64O94EhhXK
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) July 30, 2024
In May, OpenAI introduced the new voice mode – to different reactions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the advanced voice assistant felt “like AI from the movies,” but the movie's star Scarlett Johansson was shocked by how similar one of the voices sounded to her voice and hired legal counsel.
OpenAI also had some high-profile resignations on post-demonstration safety concerns, with the lead scientist leaves to start his own secure AI company.
Although the voice mode was supposed to arrive at the end of June, OpenAI delayed his departure and said it needed more time to safely scale the technology to millions of users.
IN X release threadOpenAI said it tested GPT-4o in 45 languages and only allows the model to speak in default voices, “to protect people's privacy”.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Photo: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sound mode will also be blocked with copyright and violent user requests.
“We plan to share a detailed report on GPT-4o's capabilities, limitations, and security assessments in early August,” OpenAI said.
ChatGPT has more than 180 million users since July 2024, with approx 3.9 million US paying subscribers