Every few weeks the most “advanced and human-like” version of an AI service makes a debut, and this time, we’re looking at the release of ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode. ChatGPT Plus and Teams subscribers will be the first to see and test the features out, which should be a nice boost to their experience using the app. From next week, Enterprise and Edu customers will be able to experience OpenAI’s new ChatGPT voice feature as well, so there won’t be a big delay for the different tiers of subscribers.
ChatGPT’s voice mode update will be released slowly to user devices and those who can enable the service will receive a pop-up on their app, notifying them about the setting. OpenAI says users can expect features such as “Custom Instructions, Memory, five new voices, and improved accents.”
Ready for ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode Release?
If you’re keeping pace with the progress being made in the AI industry, then ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode release is understandably exciting. AI services like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, or the extremely familiar Siri on Apple Intelligence already have a voice mode so the arrival of OpenAI’s new ChatGPT voice feature isn’t revolutionary all on its own. However, what makes the update stand out is the quality of the voice communication.
ChatGPT undeniably leads the game whether you talk about content generation or human-like communication—in one instance the AI was even caught imitating its user—and that is a large part of why the ChatGPT voice mode update is so monumental. The new Advanced Voice Mode will bring 5 new voices to users, namely Arbor, Maple, Sol, Spruce, and Vale.
This will bring up the total count of voice options to 9 and provide users with a varied reserve of assistants to choose from. The ‘Sky’ voice is pointedly missing after Scarlet Johansson accused the company of using her voice without her permission to capitalize on the AI association that users would make with the movie Her.
The “human-like” element of ChatGPT’s upcoming Advanced Voice Mode release goes beyond just sounding human. The AI will bring more of a personality to the table and generate conversational responses that the user might expect from a friend. The AI will be able to add humor to the conversation and allow for more natural prompts when trying to generate a response. The bot can be interrupted mid-response to reshape the direction of the conversation, which will be useful to guide the conversation towards the desired response.
OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode will also give users access to an AI that is better able to understand accents and that can remember preferences and prompts while generating responses.
Image: ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode release will come with a daily limit.
Details of the New ChatGPT Voice Feature
ChatGPT Plus subscribers who have invested in the $20 USD monthly plan can expect to see the feature appear on their apps starting September 24, 2024. These subscribers will automatically see a notification on the app alerting them to the setting.
Initially, the ChatGPT Voice Mode update will be “rolled out in a limited alpha to a select group of users” so not everyone might get a chance to experience the tool in the present, however, “all Plus users will have access by the end of fall,” so as long as you are subscribed, you can expect to see the feature soon enough.
So who gets to be first on the list of subscribers seeing the roll-out? According to OpenAI, it “will depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to participation invitations and the specific criteria set for the alpha testing phase.” This doesn’t quite clarify who can expect to see the tool this week but users will have to cross their fingers and be patient.
I’m testing the new @OpenAI Advanced Voice Mode and I just snorted with laughter.
In a good way.
Watch the whole thing ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vSOMzXdwZo
— Allie K. Miller (@alliekmiller) August 2, 2024
The ChatGPT advanced voice mode release will not extend to the EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein for now, so users in the area will have to wait for their turn to experience the upgraded services.
According to CNBC, there is currently a time limit on how long you can access and use OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode. After using the service for about half an hour, they received a notification that there were 15 minutes remaining. OpenAI has confirmed the use clause on their page stating “Usage of advanced Voice (audio inputs and outputs) by Plus and Team users is limited on a daily basis.”
This is likely an attempt to limit the feature to the test model, and a full rollout will extend how long users can put the service to use. Once users reach their daily limit, the conversation will end and users will be able to continue using the Standard voice tool.
OpenAI’s new ChatGPT voice feature is going to impress a lot of users and continue to disappoint others, but it is a big step forward towards the more universal integration of AI in our daily lives.