OpenAI has introduced Advanced Voice Mode (AVM) to a broader group of ChatGPT’s paying customers, starting with Plus and Teams users. This feature, designed to make interactions with ChatGPT feel more conversational, will also be available to Enterprise and Edu customers next week. The AVM update includes a refreshed design, where users will now see a blue animated sphere replacing the previous black dots.
When AVM becomes accessible, users will be notified with a pop-up next to the voice icon in the ChatGPT app. This week-long rollout is exclusive to Plus and Teams users, and while waiting, OpenAI has introduced new features like Custom Instructions, Memory, improved accents, and five new voices named Arbor, Maple, Sol, Spruce, and Vale—bringing the total number of voices to nine. These nature-inspired names aim to enhance the natural feel of voice interactions.
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Interestingly, the voice “Sky” is missing from this lineup due to a legal dispute with actress Scarlett Johansson, who alleged that Sky’s voice was too similar to hers. OpenAI removed Sky following the complaint, despite no intentional likeness.
Notably absent from this update are the video and screen-sharing capabilities that were showcased earlier in the year. These multimodal features, designed to allow ChatGPT to analyze both visual and audio input simultaneously, remain without a launch date.
OpenAI has made other improvements to AVM since its initial alpha test, including better accent recognition and smoother, faster conversations. The customization features of ChatGPT, like Custom Instructions and Memory, have also been extended to AVM, allowing users to personalize responses and enable ChatGPT to remember past conversations.
However, the AVM feature is still not available in certain regions, including the EU, U.K., Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein.
