- OpenAI announced GPT-4o, a new AI model for realistic voice conversations.
- OpenAI aims to maintain a leading position in emerging technology with GPT-4o.
- The new model will be integrated into ChatGPT soon, offering enhanced functionality.
OpenAI researchers demonstrated new audio features during a livestream event, showcasing ChatGPT's ability to engage in real-time conversations with users without delays and allowing interruptions while it speaks. These capabilities represent significant progress in creating realistic interactions, a challenge faced by AI voice assistants.
"It feels like AI from the movies... Talking to a computer has never felt really natural for me; now it does," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a blog post.
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OpenAI Reveals New AI Model Amid Rising Competition[/caption]
OpenAI, supported by Microsoft (MSFT.O), is under increasing competition and pressure to broaden the user base of its renowned chatbot product, ChatGPT. ChatGPT has impressed users worldwide with its ability to generate human-like written content and high-quality software code.
During the livestream event, OpenAI researchers demonstrated ChatGPT's new voice assistant functionalities. In a particular demonstration, ChatGPT utilized its vision and voice capabilities to guide a researcher through solving a mathematical equation on a piece of paper.
During another demonstration, researchers showcased the GPT-4o model's ability to perform real-time language transliteration.
OpenAI's presentations were reminiscent of science fiction, with ChatGPT and its conversational partner engaging in playful banter. At one point, the OpenAI researcher expressed delight, stating that he was in a fantastic mood as he showcased "how helpful and incredible" the chatbot is.
ChatGPT responded: "Oh, stop it! You're making me blush!"
Altman made a post on X after the demo, mentioning "her," which seemed to allude to the 2013 film directed by Spike Jonze. The film explores a man's relationship with an AI assistant, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
During the event, OpenAI's chief technology officer, Mira Murati, announced that the new GPT-4o model would be provided free of charge as it offers a more cost-effective solution compared to the company's previous models. However, paid users of GPT-4o will enjoy higher capacity limits than those using the free version, Murati added. OpenAI plans to integrate the GPT-4o model into ChatGPT in the coming weeks.
Murati informed Reuters after the event that free users of ChatGPT can now utilize a "browse" feature, allowing ChatGPT to present current information from the web. She also clarified that OpenAI does not plan to generate revenue from free users by selling advertisements.
ChatGPT gained rapid popularity after its late 2022 launch, becoming the fastest application to reach 100 million monthly active users. However, global traffic to ChatGPT's website has experienced fluctuations over the past year, with analytics from Similarweb showing a return to its peak in May 2023.
OpenAI made these announcements a day before Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) annual Google developers' conference, where Google is anticipated to unveil its own new AI-related features. Reuters had previously reported that OpenAI intended to announce an AI-powered search product, as per sources. However, according to a source familiar with the matter, the company opted to postpone the search product announcement.
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Alphabet's shares experienced a 0.4% decline on Monday afternoon, following a nearly 3% drop earlier in the day. Microsoft's shares also fell by 0.2%.
Reported by Anna Tong in San Francisco and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, with additional reporting by Noel Randewich in Oakland, California, and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco. Edited by Kenneth Li, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis, and Jacqueline Wong.
