OpenAI has rolled out a major update to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, making the experience of chatting with an AI assistant feel even more lifelike. Soon, talking to ChatGPT might be so natural, you could forget it’s not a human.
Well, almost.
This upgrade brings more fluidity and expressiveness to the voice, making it sound more human-like for paid users. According to OpenAI, the assistant now features subtler intonation, a smoother rhythm of speech, and even emotional cues like sarcasm or empathy. It’s a huge leap toward making AI assistants feel more approachable and relatable.
Another exciting addition is the real-time translation feature. This allows ChatGPT to translate your words as you speak, making it perfect for traveling. You can converse with people in another language, and ChatGPT will translate everything in real time-both your speech and the other person’s. Gone are the days of toggling between translation apps!
With the ability to translate seamlessly while you’re on the go, this feature is a huge time-saver. There’s no need to pause your conversation to type in translations, making for a much smoother and more natural interaction.
However, while the new voice mode is a big improvement, it’s not perfect. OpenAI acknowledges that you might experience occasional drops in audio quality, awkward tonal shifts, or unexpected pitch changes-especially if the conversation gets emotional or intense. And sometimes, random background music or fake ads may pop up unexpectedly during your chat, though OpenAI is already working on resolving these issues with future updates.
Despite these quirks, the new voice mode is a welcome step forward. It reduces that robotic feel we’ve all become too familiar with and makes the AI sound more like an actual person. Still, it’s important to remember that you’re still talking to an AI, no matter how human-like it sounds. Perhaps the random background music might help remind us of that.