ChatGPT Launches Desktop Apps with Voice Mode

OpenAI recently revealed that, in addition to the mobile versions, the Mac and PC versions of their chatbot can now use ChatGPT Advanced Voice mode.

The desktop apps for the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot are now using ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, a feature that was initially introduced in September. OpenAI’s native chatbot will now provide Mac and Windows users with a voice chat experience that is similar to that of a human, the company announced on Thursday. The ability to modify voice, exhibit emotions, and respond to human input was initially shown at the OpenAI Spring Updates event in May. The functionality is currently only available to the platform’s premium members.

“Big day for desktops” was the tweet that announced the change on X.com. The Windows version of the ChatGPT program was just released, while the Mac version has been available for some time. But up until today, Advanced Voice mode remained unavailable since the browser-based version of ChatGPT did not support it.

OpenAI’s official account, X (previously Twitter), stated in a post that desktop programs for Windows and macOS now support Advanced Voice Mode. The move is intriguing since big AI companies have begun to concentrate on desktops in order to provide consumers with more robust and extensive AI capabilities.

Big day for desktops.

Advanced Voice is now available in the macOS and Windows desktop apps.https://t.co/mv4ACwIhzA pic.twitter.com/HbwXbN9NkD

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) October 30, 2024

The Computer Use tool was made possible by Anthropic’s desktop applications for Windows and Mac, which were published on the same day. According to reports, Google is also developing a new agentic AI browser feature that will be able to do activities like making purchases and reserving movie tickets. Users may now fully utilize the potential of voice-based AI in a desktop setting thanks to OpenAI’s Advanced Voice. Notably, only iOS and Android apps were able to use the functionality up until this point.

Users can utilize the ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode by asking the AI to produce code or by conversing with it while composing a research paper or other academic work. Additionally, users may input data files and then discuss the analysis and insights in a two-way dialogue.

By pressing the waveform symbol next to the text box, users of the ChatGPT app can activate the Advanced Voice Mode. The new voice mode may be accessed by tapping on the symbol. Vale, Spruce, Arbor, Maple, and Sol are the five new voices that users may now select from. These voices all have distinct regional accents, tones, and pitches.

However, only ChatGPT Teams and Plus members may currently utilize the service. Furthermore, the new function will not be available to residents of the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, or Liechtenstein.

We tested the Advanced Voice mode on a PC, and the experience is surprisingly comparable to that on a mobile device: A new window with the recognizable floating blue orb that pulses as ChatGPT listens appears when you click the Advanced Voice icon to the right of the prompt bar.

With ChatGPT, you can start a chat about almost anything you want right away using one of its nine voices. To switch between its nine distinct voices, all you have to do is tap the symbol located in the upper right corner of the screen.

ChatGPT-4o, OpenAI’s most approachable model at the moment, is used for all interactions in Advanced Voice mode. The ability to interrupt the AI at any moment should cause it to pause its conversation and begin listening to your words. This is a crucial feature of ChatGPT Advanced Voice mode. This keeps the conversation continuing and is especially helpful when you discover that its responses are a little too lengthy.

Similar to the mobile version, access to Advanced Voice Mode requires a ChatGPT Plus subscription ($20, £16, AU$30). However, users can use it on the free tier, but with a monthly talk time limit of only 10 minutes.

The ChatGPT Advanced Voice mode was just released in Europe, however it has been accessible in the US for a while. Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, has termed the claim that a new version of ChatGPT named Orion will be published before the year is out “fake news.”