Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
ChatGPT voice mode rushes, sacrificing accuracy for speed
Web version answers with detail; voice often hallucinates
Turning off advanced voice mode doesn't fully fix problems
OpenAI has been clear in its messaging that different models perform differently. But my recent testing has shown that different interaction modes, even using the same model, also perform differently.
Also: Is ChatGPT Plus still worth $20 when the free version offers so much - including GPT-5?
As it turns out, ChatGPT in Voice Mode (both Standard and Advanced) is considerably less accurate than the web version. The reason? It doesn't want to take time to think because that would slow down the conversation.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
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