OpenAI Launches Advanced Voice Mode with New Features

OpenAI has announced the rollout of Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) to its ChatGPT Plus and Teams subscribers. The new feature introduces more natural voice interactions, five new voices, and improved accents.


(Credit: OpenAI)

Revamped Design and New Voices

A Fresh Look

The AVM feature now sports a blue animated sphere, replacing the previous animated black dots. This visual update aims to make the user experience more engaging and intuitive.

Expanded Voice Options

Five new voices—Arbor, Maple, Sol, Spruce, and Vale—have been added, bringing the total to nine.

These voices are inspired by nature, aligning with AVM's goal of making interactions feel more natural. However, the voice "Sky," previously showcased, has been removed due to legal issues with Scarlett Johansson.

Feature Enhancements and Limitations

Improved Accents and Customization

OpenAI has enhanced AVM's ability to understand various accents and made conversations smoother and faster. Additionally, users can now utilize Custom Instructions and Memory features to personalize their interactions with ChatGPT.

Regional Availability and Missing Features

AVM is currently unavailable in several regions, including the EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. Moreover, the video and screen-sharing capabilities demonstrated earlier this year are not included in this rollout, with no specified timeline for their release.

Competitive Landscape and Future Prospects

Market Competition

OpenAI faces increasing competition from other tech giants. Google recently launched its Gemini Live voice feature, and Meta plans to introduce celebrity voices on its platforms. Despite the competition, ChatGPT maintains a strong user base with over 200 million weekly active users.

Subscription Plans

The advanced voice mode is available to subscribers of OpenAI's Plus, Team, or Enterprise plans, starting at $20 per month. Users will receive a notification in the ChatGPT app when AVM becomes available to them.

Editor's Comments

OpenAI's rollout of Advanced Voice Mode signifies a significant step forward in making AI interactions more natural and user-friendly.

The addition of new voices and improved accent recognition enhances the user experience, although regional availability and the absence of multimodal capabilities remain limitations.

As competition heats up with Google and Meta entering the voice AI space, OpenAI's continued innovation and user-centric features will be crucial in maintaining its market lead.