Get All Access for $5/mo

ChatGPT Debuts a New Voice — But It Comes With a Catch In May, OpenAI demoed the new voice mode but some felt it sounded too close to Scarlett Johansson's — including Johansson, who hired legal counsel.

By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • As of Tuesday, a small group of paying customers can access OpenAI's new voice mode.
  • Voice mode took front and center stage in OpenAI's GPT-4o May demo for its responsiveness and emotiveness.
  • OpenAI had to work through possible safety issues before rolling out the feature.

After a one-month delay, OpenAI is giving ChatGPT a human voice.

ChatGPT, which takes a written prompt and churns out an answer based on what it knows from its training data, was previously limited to typed answers. As of Tuesday, a limited group of paying ChatGPT Plus subscribers now have access to another dimension of the AI chatbot: They can access four pre-loaded voices to talk to ChatGPT and get answers in real time.

Related: OpenAI's Launches New AI Chatbot, GPT-4o, Which Sounds Almost Like a Friend Would

With the voice mode, paying users can talk to ChatGPT, interrupt its answers, and have more natural, human-like conversations. Each voice "senses and responds to your emotions," according to a Tuesday post on X from OpenAI.

In May, OpenAI demoed the new voice mode — to varying reactions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the advanced voice assistant felt "like AI from the movies" but movie star Scarlett Johansson was shocked by how similar one of the voices sounded to hers, and hired legal counsel.

OpenAI also had several high-profile resignations over safety concerns following the demo, with its chief scientist leaving to start his own safe AI company.

Though voice mode was supposed to arrive in late June, OpenAI delayed its launch and said it needed more time to scale the technology safely to millions of users.

In the X release thread, OpenAI said it tested GPT-4o across 45 languages and only allows the model to speak in preset voices, "to protect people's privacy."

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO. Photographer: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Voice mode will also block copyrighted and violent requests from users.

"We plan to share a detailed report on GPT-4o's capabilities, limitations, and safety evaluations in early August," OpenAI stated.

ChatGPT has more than 180 million users as of July 2024, with around 3.9 million paying subscribers in the U.S.

Related: An Elite Financial Publication With a $75 Per Month Subscription Price Is Letting AI Use Its Articles for Training

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Process

How CEOs Can Take Control of Their Emails and Achieve Inbox Zero

Although there are many methodologies that leaders can use to manage their emails effectively, a consistent and thought-through process is the most effective way to systemize and respond to emails and is a step of stewardship for the effective leader.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.