ChatGPT's controversial advanced voice mode is finally here ...
ChatGPT is about to get even chattier. OpenAI announced this week that it will finally start rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that allows the chatbot to engage in real-time voice conversations with its users. OpenAI announced the new feature in May as it launched its latest GPT-4o, although it has been in development since last year.
While it offered a choice of four voices, users were quick to notice that one of them sounded an awful lot like Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson. The actress blasted the company, and it took down her voice while still denying the infringement.
Advanced Voice Mode Unveiled
After riding out the wave of bad press from the Johansson debacle, OpenAI has now announced the launch of its Advanced Voice Mode. The new feature will initially be available only to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users. The company pledged to add more users on a rolling basis, with the goal of onboarding all its paying users by the fall.
In a live demonstration in May, CTO Mira Murati tasked a ChatGPT assistant equipped with the new feature with varying requests, from telling a bedside story in a calming voice to using a robotic tone. They interrupted it several times, and in all the tests, it would naturally stop and await new instructions. The assistant could even tap the phone’s camera and relay what it was seeing around it.
However, OpenAI announced in June that it would postpone the launch by one month for safety reasons. It defended the delay this week, saying it took the time to “reinforce the safety and quality of voice conversations.” The company says it has now tested the voice assistant with over 100 external red teamers across 45 languages.
Ensuring Safety and Privacy
To avoid misuse and protect people’s privacy, OpenAI will also limit the assistant to four preset voices. “We’ve made it so that ChatGPT cannot impersonate other people’s voices, both individuals and public figures, and will block outputs that differ from one of these preset voices,” commented spokesperson Taya Christianson.
Apple is setting the bar high with its latest AI offering, with a beta version rolled out for selected developers while the EU may have to wait a little longer to experience this innovation.
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