OpenAI CEO teases voice features ahead of Spring event

Today (May 13), OpenAI is set to reveal new features for GPT-4 and ChatGPT. However, CEO Sam Altman has suggested that voice may be the next major advancement in AI.

During the most recent installment of the All-In podcast, Sam Altman proposed that voice-based AI technology could offer insight into the potential of AI-powered devices in the future.

Altman responded that in order to surpass the iPhone, a new interaction paradigm made possible by technology would need to be discovered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSM0xd8xHUM

In conversation with Sam Altman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSM0xd8xHUM)

Upon being informed by host Jason Calacanis that ChatGPT already possesses a text-to-speech capability, Altman acknowledged the potential for improvement. He also expressed his belief that voice interaction could potentially be a game-changer in terms of computer usage.

According to Altman, The Information’s recent report is supported by evidence. It states that OpenAI is developing an integrated technology that combines audio, text, and image recognition into a single product.

According to The Information, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sees the development of highly responsive AI, similar to the virtual assistant in the movie ‘Her,’ as a key milestone in his technological pursuits. Additionally, Altman aims to enhance the functionality of current voice assistants, such as Apple’s Siri.

Despite the numerous voice-based AI products that have entered the market, they have failed to impress both critics and consumers. Two such examples are the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, which were highly anticipated but received negative reviews upon their launch.

OpenAI will be hosting a livestream today, which is notably one day before Google I/O, Google’s developer conference. There were speculations that the company may unveil a search engine powered by ChatGPT, or potentially even their highly anticipated GPT-5. However, these rumors were put to rest by Sam Altman in a post on X.