OpenAI Updates Advanced Voice Mode to Improve User Experience and Reduce Interruptions
OpenAI has rolled out new updates for its Advanced Voice Mode in ChatGPT, improving the AI voice assistant's ability to engage in more natural and personable conversations as reported by TechCrunch. The company announced these updates, with a video from Manuka Stratta, an OpenAI post-training researcher, explaining the changes on the company’s official social media channels.
These updates specifically aim to address a common issue faced by AI voice assistants—interrupting users when they pause or take a breath during conversations. The latest improvements make the voice assistant less intrusive and more conversational, offering a better user experience.
Improved Experience for Free and Paid Users
With this update, free ChatGPT users can now speak without worrying about being interrupted when they pause to think or gather their thoughts. Additionally, paying users, including those subscribed to OpenAI’s Plus, Teams, Edu, Business, and Pro plans, will experience fewer interruptions and a more engaging, creative AI voice assistant.
According to TechCrunch, the improvements for paying users are designed to make the assistant’s voice more “direct, engaging, concise, specific, and creative” in its responses. This adjustment aims to make the interactions feel more natural and dynamic.
Also read: OpenAI Unveils Responses API for Building AI Agents
OpenAI Competes in a Growing Market for Voice Assistants
These upgrades to Advanced Voice Mode come as OpenAI faces increasing competition in the AI voice assistant market. One of the rising competitors, Sesame—a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz and founded by Oculus cofounder Brendan Iribe—recently gained attention for its lifelike
AI voice assistants, Maya and Miles. Other major players, such as Amazon, are also advancing their AI voice technologies, with Amazon preparing to release a new version of Alexa powered by large language models (LLMs).
OpenAI’s move to refine its voice assistant technology highlights the growing demand for smarter, more engaging AI interactions. As companies like Sesame and Amazon ramp up their offerings, OpenAI’s updates position ChatGPT to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI voice assistant space.
