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On Wed, 23 Oct, 12:03 AM UTC
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No More VPNs: OpenAI Rolls Out Advanced Voice Mode to EU Users
(Credit: MateuszSlodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) When ChatGPT released Advanced Voice mode in late September, Europe was left out of the excitement for regulatory reasons, but it appears the region block has now been lifted. OpenAI quietly confirmed the rollout on Tuesday when replying to a tweet asking for updates about the EU. "Well, yes," the company said. "All Plus users in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein now have access to Advanced Voice." Previously, European users could skirt the region block by using a VPN, TechRadar notes. "I got a German iPhone, German as main language, German provider and I am in Germany. I never received any information about the advanced voice feature and today I just established a VPN connection to a random US-server and after an hour I restarted the app and got the new feature," a Redditor wrote last month. Advanced Voice launched for select Plus subscribers in July and promises to provide a natural-sounding back-and-forth with the AI. In a May demo with OpenAI employees, it easily understood what they asked and responded in real-time with accurate, useful information, even if it was interrupted or the employee adjusted their query mid-sentence. It features nine voices, but don't look for Sky, which drew the ire of Scarlett Johansson earlier this year and has since been disabled. Advanced Voice rolled out in the UK last month, but OpenAI and other tech firms have been slower to unleash AI products in the EU, where regulations are more stringent. In August, OpenAI told Euronews Next that "Europe is a key region for us, and we're committed to working with European Institutions to offer our products here." Access to Advanced Voice requires a ChatGPT Plus subscription, although free users get 10 minutes of access per month to test it out.
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OpenAI's advanced voice mode is now available in Europe
The ChatGPT maker ran into controversy after one of its voices resembled the voice of actor Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film "Her." ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Tuesday that its Advanced Voice was available in Europe, following a delay in the launch that may have been due to regulatory rules on the continent. OpenAI announced the Advanced Voice Mode in May, which allows users to interact with the large language model (LLM) with their voices, meaning you can talk to ChatGPT using your mobile phone, laptop, or PC's microphone. The voice mode was rolled out in the United Kingdom earlier this month but did not come to the European continent until now, which could be due to concerns about Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires some products to be reviewed by the EU data commissioner before launch. "Europe is a key region for us and we're committed to working with European Institutions to offer our products here," an OpenAI spokesperson told Euronews Next earlier this month. OpenAI confirmed it was bringing the tool to Europe in response to a post on the social media platform X, which asked whether it would come to Europe. "Well yes. All Plus users in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein now have access to Advanced Voice," OpenAI said in a post. The Advanced Voice started rolling out to OpenAI Plus subscribers last night but is not yet available for those using the free account. Advanced Voice hit the headlines when it was announced earlier this year as a voice called Sky resembled that of actor Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film "Her". Legal representatives of Johansson sent OpenAI letters which claimed the company did not have the right to use the voice. OpenAI has since temporarily paused the voice of Sky. Users can ask the AI to change accents, for example, to a southern accent, if they do not like what they are hearing. It is also interactive so that you can tell it to speed or slow down and will listen if you interrupt it.
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OpenAI's Advanced Voice Finally Rolls Out in EU After Regulatory Roadblocks
A month after its initial rollout, OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Advanced Voice for EU users. While the company never confirmed the reason for the delayed European launch, several of its peers have acknowledged holding back AI features in the EU over regulatory concerns. EU Users Gain Access to ChatGPT Advanced Voice Leveraging advanced speech synthesis and natural language understanding, ChatGPT Advanced Voice lets users engage in more natural and human-like voice interactions with ChatGPT. On Oct. 22, OpenAI announced the rollout, revealing that ChatGPT Plus users in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein now have access to the feature. But why was OpenAI's EU launch delayed in the first place? AI Compliance Concerns Following Advanced Voice's initial unavailability in the EU, there was speculation that compliance concerns had stalled its release in the region. OpenAI is not the first company to hold back AI features from the EU market. Citing concerns over the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple initially postponed the rollout of Apple Intelligence for EU users. Likewise, citing regulatory uncertainty, Meta has opted not to release Meta AI and a multimodal version of its LLaMA model in the EU. In an open letter recently penned by Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg argued that overzealous interpretations of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) risked inhibiting AI innovation in the region. Why Did OpenAI Delay Rollout? Some observers speculated that ChatGPT Advanced Voice's ability to understand emotional context could violate the AI Act's restrictions on AI-based emotion recognition systems. However, given that the platform is now live for all European users, it is more likely that OpenAI simply needed additional time to ensure it complied with existing EU regulations like the DMA and GDPR.
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OpenAI has finally rolled out its ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode to users in the European Union and other European countries, after an initial delay possibly due to regulatory concerns.
OpenAI has officially launched its ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode for users in the European Union, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. This expansion comes after a delay in the initial rollout, which was speculated to be due to regulatory concerns in the region 1.
The Advanced Voice Mode, first introduced in May, allows users to interact with ChatGPT using voice commands. It offers a natural-sounding back-and-forth conversation with the AI, understanding and responding to queries in real-time. The feature includes nine different voices and can adapt to interruptions or mid-sentence query adjustments 1.
The feature is now available to all ChatGPT Plus subscribers in the specified European countries. Free users can test it out with 10 minutes of access per month 1. Prior to the official release, some European users had been using VPNs to access the feature 2.
The delayed European launch of Advanced Voice Mode highlighted the challenges AI companies face in navigating the EU's regulatory landscape. While OpenAI did not explicitly confirm the reason for the delay, other tech giants like Apple and Meta have held back AI features in the EU due to concerns over compliance with regulations such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 3.
The Advanced Voice Mode faced controversy when one of its voices, named Sky, resembled that of actor Scarlett Johansson. Following legal concerns, OpenAI has temporarily paused the use of this particular voice 2.
Despite the initial delay, OpenAI has emphasized its commitment to the European market. A company spokesperson stated, "Europe is a key region for us, and we're committed to working with European Institutions to offer our products here" 2. This move demonstrates OpenAI's efforts to navigate the complex regulatory landscape while expanding its services globally.
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OpenAI has finally released its advanced voice feature for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, allowing for more natural conversations with the AI. The feature was initially paused due to concerns over potential misuse.
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OpenAI has rolled out an advanced voice mode for ChatGPT, allowing users to engage in verbal conversations with the AI. This feature is being gradually introduced to paid subscribers, starting with Plus and Enterprise users in the United States.
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12 Sources
OpenAI has begun rolling out its highly anticipated voice assistant to select ChatGPT Plus subscribers. The launch comes after a delay to address safety issues, marking a significant advancement in AI-powered voice technology.
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5 Sources
OpenAI has rolled out ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode for web browsers, allowing users to have voice conversations with the AI chatbot directly from their desktop. Initially available for paid subscribers, this feature marks a significant step in AI interaction and accessibility.
5 Sources
5 Sources
OpenAI launches a new voice-based interaction feature for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, allowing users to engage in conversations with the AI using voice commands and receive spoken responses.
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