OpenAI is expected to launch a feature in the coming weeks that will allow the ChatGPT application to read texts produced by artificial intelligence in five different voices.
In two weeks, users will be able to choose a voice in the chatbot app, selecting from five personas with names like “Juniper,” “Breeze,” and “Ember.” ChatGPT will produce an audio of the text generated with that chosen voice – for example, reading aloud an AI (artificial intelligence) generated bedtime story.
This functionality will be available to those who subscribe to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus service for US$20 (R$98.18) per month and to companies.
OpenAI launched its ChatGPT app in May and already offers a voice-to-text capability that allows users to chat with the bot. Adding an audio response feature could create the feeling that people are having a more human conversation.
The company hopes the new feature will encourage use of the mobile app on the go, putting it in direct competition with personal assistant offerings like Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa.
Requests can include asking the program to tell you about the history of a location while you’re on your way there, or asking for a cocktail recipe while searching for the ingredients in the kitchen.
In a test of the tool, she narrated a story about a starfish and a turnip. However, although ChatGPT can create lyrics for songs, the app will refuse to sing.
ChatGPT’s voices sound quite similar to those of humans (although a careful listen reveals a bit of robotic monotony). OpenAI said it worked with voice actors to build the text-to-speech artificial intelligence model that underpins this functionality.
The company also said that in the coming weeks, paid and business users will be able to access a feature for GPT-4 – one of the AI models that powers ChatGPT – to send an image and a question related to it. For example, you could send an image of pink sunglasses and ask the chatbot to suggest a matching outfit, or send an image of a math problem and ask for help solving it.
The feature, which OpenAI announced earlier this year when introducing GPT-4, is available through the ChatGPT app and website.
