OpenAI is beginning to roll out its new advanced voice mode for ChatGPT to a limited group of ChatGPT Plus subscribers. A select group of subscribers will have access to a variety of voice options, offering more natural and engaging audio responses.
This feature was initially revealed at the GPT-4o launch event in May and garnered attention for its sophisticated capabilities. However, it faced criticism due to its voice sounding remarkably similar to Scarlett Johansson’s, which raised ethical and legal concerns.
The new speech mode showed off notable advancements over the previous iteration at OpenAI’s event. Employees of OpenAI demonstrated how the chatbot could respond dynamically to disruptions and change course as necessary.
The onstage voice, known as “Sky,” was criticized despite these improvements because it resembled Johansson’s performance of an AI in the film Her. Johansson then started writing to OpenAI to ask for more information about the voice’s creation.
The rollout was originally slated for an alpha release in late June, but it was delayed by one month. According to OpenAI, the wait was required to satisfy their security requirements and enhance the model’s capacity to identify and reject particular kinds of information.
As per the OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson, the speech model was put through extensive testing by more than a hundred outside specialists known as “red teamers,” who try to take advantage of technology flaws. OpenAI’s response to heightened scrutiny of its safety procedures included this delay.
OpenAI has added filters to the new voice mode to block requests for generating music or copyrighted audio. In response to criticism over a Johansson-like voice, OpenAI limited the mode to four preset voices created with voice actors. Spokesperson Taya Christianson assured that ChatGPT will not impersonate others’ voices, and any outputs differing from these presets will be blocked to prevent misuse.
OpenAI plans to make the new advanced voice mode available to all ChatGPT Plus users by the fall. This rollout aims to provide users with a more interactive and versatile experience while maintaining high safety and ethical standards.
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