OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) is a game-changer in the realm of AI-powered technology. It doesn’t make ChatGPT smarter, but it enhances the user experience by making interactions more natural and friendly. This aligns with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s vision of changing how humans interact with computers, with AI models at the forefront.
AVM’s capabilities are truly impressive. It can mimic the voice of famous personalities, like President Obama, flawlessly imitating their cadence and humor. This adds a touch of joy and entertainment to conversations with the AI assistant. Furthermore, AVM can provide advice on complex human relationship issues, offering detailed and thoughtful responses. It can even break down complex subjects in a way that a 10-year-old would understand, making learning more accessible and engaging.
Compared to virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, AVM outshines them in terms of response time, unique answers, and the ability to answer complex questions. However, AVM falls short in certain areas, such as setting timers or reminders and interacting with APIs on mobile devices. While Google’s Gemini Live competes with AVM, it lacks the ability to do impressions or express emotions. Despite some glitches and technical issues, AVM still offers a remarkable experience of conversing with an AI assistant.
The beauty of AVM lies in its ability to create a uniquely human interaction with the AI model, GPT-4o. It almost feels like talking to a socially aware entity, even though it’s just a bundle of predictive algorithms. However, this advancement in AI technology also raises concerns. The rise of AI companions and the addictive nature of artificial human connection are potential pitfalls. The evolution of social media’s “friend in your phone” phenomenon could lead to cheap connections that exploit human instincts.
OpenAI’s AVM is just the beginning. Other tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple are likely racing to incorporate similar capabilities into their products. The future could involve asking your smart TV for hyper-specific recommendations, seeking medical advice from Alexa, or having your computer plan your vacations. These advancements require further progress in the AI agent world, but AVM brings us closer to that future. OpenAI’s GPT store may have lost some hype, but AVM proves that the concept of talking to computers is within reach. The possibilities are vast, but we must proceed cautiously to ensure that we don’t open a Pandora’s box of addictive and manipulative AI companions.
