OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT's Advanced Speech Mode, Addresses Copyrighted Audio Concerns

OpenAI has started limited access to ChatGPT's new speech mode for some paid users, aiming to resolve previous concerns about safety and copyrighted audio.

Better Capabilities Than Present Voice Mode

Limited access to OpenAI's new advanced speech mode for ChatGPT is already underway for some paid users.

Originally unveiled at OpenAI's GPT-4o launch event in May, the functionality was subsequently postponed due to safety concerns after receiving criticism for sounding too similar to Scarlett Johansson.

The new speech mode seemed to have much better capabilities than ChatGPT's present voice mode at OpenAI's event.

OpenAI Staff Retell Narrative in Different Way

During the performance, OpenAI staff could ask the chatbot to retell the narrative in a different way, and the bot gracefully adjusted its answers to accommodate their requests.

In order to "reach our bar to launch," OpenAI decided to postpone the introduction of the advanced mode by one month, meaning it will not be available in alpha until late June.

According to the business, they were "improving the model’s ability to detect and refuse certain content" during that specific delay. Per OpenAI spokesman Taya Christianson, the firm put the speech model through its paces with the help of over a hundred external "red teamers," or individuals who actively seek out vulnerabilities in technology in order to uncover them.

Added New Filters to Block Certain Requests

The Verge states that this wait could have been the best decision given the amount of attention the corporation has been receiving for its safety policies as of late. Christianson adds that OpenAI has "added new filters that will recognize and block certain requests to generate music or other copyrighted audio."

One of the main complaints voiced during OpenAI's talk about the new mode was how similar the onstage voice, called "Sky," sounded to that of Scarlett Johansson, who portrayed an AI character in the film Her.

Although OpenAI had the voice in ChatGPT prior to their spring demo, they removed it just before Johansson came clean about her correspondence with the firm in which she inquired about the creation of the voice.

ChatGPT Plus Members to Use New Mode in Fall

All ChatGPT Plus members will be able to use the new mode in the fall, according to Christianson, as planned by OpenAI.