A new ChatGPT voice update has made interacting with the chatbot far more flexible than it used to be, and I think is an example of one of the key things we can eventually expect from the new Siri.
While OpenAI’s change might seem like a relatively small one on the surface, I’m already finding that it completely transforms the experience of using ChatGPT …
Text to voice
When ChatGPT first launched, it was text only. Later, expanding the functionality to voice interactions had two impacts.
First, it made the chatbot seem even more like it was imitating a human being. That’s a whole topic of its own, but I’m with Dave Winer and John Gruber in thinking that this should not be an objective of a chatbot. (OpenAI did at least back down from a version which prioritized friendliness over accuracy.)
Second, it improved usability. It’s obviously faster and more convenient to simply speak to an AI than it is to type and read written responses, at least for certain types of interaction.
However, there are times when text and visual interaction is more appropriate, and while it was great to have the choice, it could be frustrating when you could get 95% of the job done with voice but then had to switch to text for things like asking ChatGPT to create an image.
This was especially true because the two modes were distinct, and it could feel like you were interacting with two entirely separate ChatGPT models – one voice, the other text.
Integrating the two
The latest update to ChatGPT integrates text and voice interactions.
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