OpenAI announces delay for ChatGPT’s voice mode feature, says it wants to play it safe

OpenAI has announced a delay in the launch of its Voice Mode feature for ChatGPT, citing the need to resolve technical issues and ensure a high standard of quality. The release was originally scheduled for late June and has now been pushed back to July. The company said it is focusing on its commitment to security and usability. The Voice Mode feature, which promises a realistic voice conversation experience, was due to be introduced to a select group of ChatGPT Plus users. However, OpenAI has decided to take more time to refine the model’s capabilities and ensure it meets its strict launch standards.

In a post on social media platform X, OpenAI detailed the specific areas where improvements are needed before the feature is released.

“We had planned to roll this out as an alpha version to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users in late June, but we still need a month to reach our launch threshold. For example, we are improving the model’s ability to detect and reject certain content. We are also working to improve the user experience and prepare our infrastructure to scale to millions while maintaining real-time responses,” the company said.

It continues: “As part of our iterative deployment strategy, we will launch the alpha with a small group of users to gather feedback and expand based on what we learn. We plan for all Plus users to have access in the fall. Exact timelines will depend on whether we maintain our high security and reliability standards. We are also working on rolling out the new video and screen sharing features we demoed separately and will keep you updated on that timeline.”

“ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode can understand and respond to emotions and nonverbal cues, bringing us closer to more natural conversations in real time with AI. Our mission is to bring these new experiences to you with thoughtfulness.”

The new audio features allow users to have more natural and dynamic conversations with ChatGPT. Users can talk to ChatGPT and get real-time responses without delay, as well as interrupt the AI ​​while it’s speaking – features that are critical for realistic and fluid interactions.

In addition to voice mode, OpenAI is also developing new video and screen sharing features. These improvements are part of the company’s broader strategy to expand ChatGPT’s functionality and maintain its competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Back in May, OpenAI announced plans to release a new AI model, GPT-4o, that supports realistic voice conversations and interactions across text and images.