OpenAI Rolls Out Advanced Voice Mode with More Voices and a New Look

OpenAI has announced the expansion of its Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) to a broader set of ChatGPT’s paying customers. The company aims to make AI conversations more natural and engaging.

Starting with Plus and Teams users, the rollout marks an important step in enhancing user interaction with ChatGPT. The enterprise and educational customers will receive access next week.

OpenAI has unveiled its new Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) to an expanded group of ChatGPT’s paying users. This feature promises a more natural conversation experience and is initially available to Plus and Teams users.

In addition to introducing AVM, OpenAI has given the feature a fresh look. A blue animated sphere replaces the old black dots design, making it visually distinct in the ChatGPT app. Users will see a pop-up next to the voice icon when AVM becomes available.

ChatGPT now has five new voices: Arbor, Maple, Sol, Spruce, and Vale. This brings the total number of voices to nine, aiming to make the interaction feel more natural.

One notable absence is the voice called Sky, which was removed after Scarlett Johansson claimed it sounded too similar to her voice. OpenAI responded quickly to the legal threat by taking down Sky’s voice.

The AVM update does not include video and screen-sharing capabilities that were highlighted earlier this year. These multimodal features would have allowed the AI to process visual and audible information simultaneously.

Despite the absence of these features, OpenAI has stated that AVM is now better at understanding accents and offers smoother, faster conversations. These improvements aim to make interactions with ChatGPT more seamless.

Our tests of AVM found occasional glitches, but OpenAI claims these issues have been addressed. Users can also enjoy enhanced customization features such as Custom Instructions and Memory, which allow for more personalized interactions.

At present, AVM is not available in several regions, including the EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. This limitation has sparked interest on social media about when the feature will be globally accessible.

The introduction of Advanced Voice Mode is a significant move for OpenAI, setting a new standard for AI-driven conversations.

However, the absence of multimodal features and incomplete geographic reach indicate there is still room for growth. Users worldwide eagerly anticipate these advancements.

About The Author

Emmanuel Kesse

See author's posts