ChatGPT users are now beginning to enjoy OpenAI's highly-anticipated "Advanced Voice" feature, which enhances the tool's voice interaction abilities.
This update is being gradually rolled out to users subscribed to the Plus and Team plans within this week.
The announcement was made by OpenAI through a post on X on September 24.
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After being postponed earlier this year, the new feature enables the ChatGPT-4o model to talk in more than 50 languages. This advancement enables smoother conversations between users and the AI, as it now has improved conversational speed and accents in certain languages.
However, OpenAI acknowledged that the feature may still face challenges in certain settings. Specifically, environments like speakerphones may introduce background noise that disrupts the AI's responses.
As part of this update, OpenAI introduced five new voice options—Arbor, Maple, SXol, Spruce, and Vale—adding to the existing choices of Breeze, Cove, Ember, and Juniper. These voices were designed to provide a more natural feel, allowing users to engage in fluid, uninterrupted conversations, even switching topics or interjecting as needed.
The launch of these new voices wasn't without controversy. Some users took to X to express frustration, particularly over the absence of the Sky voice model, which was originally planned but later canceled.
The voice generated a stir after actress Scarlett Johansson revealed that she was approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in 2023 to lend her voice to ChatGPT. Although she declined, the Sky voice was very similar to hers, which caused legal tensions.
Altman eventually withdrew the voice model, asserting that the resemblance was purely coincidental, though he cryptically referenced the 2013 film Her, in which Johansson played the voice of an AI.
Even without the Sky model, OpenAI continues to develop its voice functionality, promising more updates in the near future to enhance the ChatGPT user experience.
