OpenAI has officially launched the Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) aimed at enhancing user experience for ChatGPT. However, this update does not cover certain European countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Norway. Currently, AVM is available to ChatGPT Plus and Teams users, while Enterprise and Education clients will gain access starting next week.
Advanced Voice Mode Introduced
Under the leadership of CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI began offering AVM to ChatGPT Plus and Teams subscribers. According to an announcement made via the company’s official X account, the feature will be extended to all eligible users within this week.
“Advanced Voice will be available to all Plus and Team users this week in the ChatGPT app. We have added Custom Instructions, Memory, five new voices, and improved accent recognition features.”
Regional Limitations
The company, led by Sam Altman, has stated that AVM will not be available in certain European regions for now. Countries currently excluded from the rollout include EU member states, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway. The company has not yet provided a clear timeline regarding the availability of voice-based capabilities in these regions due to potential regulatory issues.
Missing Features and Legal Challenges
While AVM offers enhanced voice controls, some previously mentioned features are not available in the current product lineup. For example, the video and screen-sharing functionalities introduced in May have not yet been made public. Additionally, OpenAI has faced several legal and content moderation challenges, with the removal of the Sky voice being cited in relation to legal threats from Scarlett Johansson.
OpenAI stated that the similarity was coincidental and that they removed the voice as a precaution. The company indicated that such legal issues could hinder the rollout of new features.
A recent significant incident involved a hacker attack on OpenAI’s social media account. The official X account of OpenAI was briefly compromised by cryptocurrency scammers who promoted a fake token called “$OPENAI,” directing users to phishing sites to steal crypto wallet information.
These updates and incidents highlight the technical and legal challenges OpenAI faces while developing its voice mode.
In summary, OpenAI is tackling regulatory obstacles in certain regions while expanding the voice mode of ChatGPT. The new features added to improve user experience are noteworthy. Legal and security issues continue to limit the company’s progress.
