OpenAI has rolled out updates to its AI voice assistant in ChatGPT, making conversations more natural and engaging. The new version of Advanced Voice Mode, announced Monday by OpenAI researcher Manuka Stratta, aims to reduce unnecessary interruptions and enhance the assistant’s personality.
A common frustration with AI voice assistants has been their tendency to cut users off when they pause to think or breathe. OpenAI has addressed this by allowing free ChatGPT users to pause naturally without being interrupted. Paying users—subscribers to OpenAI’s Plus, Teams, Edu, Business, and Pro plans—will also experience fewer interruptions and a more engaging, creative, and concise conversational style.
An OpenAI spokesperson described the improvements as making the assistant “more direct, engaging, concise, specific, and creative.” The update arrives amid growing competition in AI voice technology. Startups like Sesame, founded by Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe, have gained attention for their highly natural-sounding AI voices, Maya and Miles. Meanwhile, major tech players like Amazon are advancing their own AI-powered voice assistants, with a next-generation version of Alexa in development.
With these enhancements, OpenAI aims to provide a more seamless and interactive voice experience, reinforcing ChatGPT’s position in the increasingly competitive AI assistant market.
