Sesame's AI Voice Assistant: A Leap Towards Human-Like Conversation
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This is Sesame: The 'human voice' generated by AI - Softonic
Artificial intelligence is advancing at an astonishing pace, and Sesame's latest voice model is pushing the boundaries of human-like speech. While chatbots like ChatGPT have long allowed us to converse with AI through text, Sesame introduces something even more immersive: a voice interaction so
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Sesame's AI voice is so real, it's unsettling
A new AI voice model has set the internet abuzz, with reactions oscillating between awe and unease. Sesame AI's Conversational Speech Model (CSM) doesn't just sound human -- it feels human. Users describe extended, almost emotional interactions with the AI-generated voices, which exhibit breath
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I compared Sesame to ChatGPT voice mode and I'm unnerved
Try Sesame's voice assistant and see for yourself. Credit: berya113 / iStock / Getty Images Plus Trying the new voice assistant from AI startup Sesame is the first time I momentarily forgot I was talking to a bot. Compared to ChatGPT's voice mode, Sesame's "conversational voice" feels natural,
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Creepy human-like AI voice assistant demo both excites and disturbs the internet
In context: Some of the implications of today's AI models are startling enough without adding a hyperrealistic human voice to them. We have seen several impressive examples over the last 10 years, but they seem to fall silent until a new one emerges. Enter Miles and Maya from Sesame AI, a company
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Talking with Sesame's AI voice companion is amazing and creepy - see for yourself
As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of talking to AI. Even though many of them sound pretty human, they're still "off" enough that I much prefer typing when I want to converse with one. Sesame changed that. In a blog post titled "Crossing the Uncanny Valley of Conversational Voice," the company
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Eerily realistic AI voice demo sparks amazement and discomfort online
In late 2013, the Spike Jonze film Her imagined a future where people would form emotional connections with AI voice assistants. Nearly 12 years later, that fictional premise has veered closer to reality with the release of a new conversational voice model from AI startup Sesame that has left many
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I Tried Sesame AI's Voice Companion, and It Was Like Talking to a Real Person
OpenAI, the leading AI lab, launched the ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode last year, but it failed to impress me. By the time it was released, OpenAI had watered down its capabilities, and the Voice Mode refused to produce human-like expressions. Google's Gemini Live, on the other hand, relied on a TTS
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Can AI sound too human? Sesame's Maya is as unsettling as it is amazing - try it for free
As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of talking to AI chatbots. Even though many of them sound pretty human, they're still "off" enough that I much prefer typing when I want to converse with one. Sesame changed that. In a blog post yesterday titled "Crossing the Uncanny Valley of Conversational
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I was so freaked out by talking to this AI that I had to leave
Are we ready for a conversational AI that evokes an emotional response? Fifteen minutes after "hanging up" with Sesame's new "lifelike" AI, and I'm still freaked out. So-called "conversations" with AI don't do a lot for me, especially where text is concerned. With voice chats, such as the new
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I tried the most realistic AI voice companion ever created - if ChatGPT or Gemini ever gets this good, reality is in trouble
I have spent a lot of time talking to AI. I've tested every voice assistant, every chatbot, and every "next-generation" conversational AI that tech companies love to hype up. But I've never encountered anything quite like Sesame. This AI companion isn't just good, it's eerily accurate at mimicking
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Sesame AI's new Conversational Speech Model (CSM) introduces Maya and Miles, AI-generated voices that blur the line between human and machine interaction, sparking both excitement and concern.
Sesame AI Unveils Groundbreaking Voice Technology
Sesame AI, a startup co-founded by former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, has introduced a revolutionary Conversational Speech Model (CSM) that pushes the boundaries of AI-generated speech
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. The company's AI assistants, Maya and Miles, have captivated users with their eerily human-like voices and conversational abilities, sparking both excitement and unease across the tech community2
.Technology Behind the Voices
Sesame's CSM relies on a dual-model architecture based on Meta's Llama framework, consisting of a primary AI engine and a specialized decoder
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. This innovative approach enables rapid response generation without noticeable latency, ensuring fluid and dynamic conversations. The company has trained these models using one million hours of English-language audio, refining speech patterns to near-human perfection1
.User Experience and Reactions
Users interacting with Maya and Miles report feeling an emotional connection, describing the experience as "strange, exciting, and unsettling all at once"
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. The AI voices incorporate subtle human-like qualities such as pauses, intonations, emotional subtleties, and even breath sounds and chuckles3
. This level of realism has led some users to momentarily forget they were talking to a bot3
.Comparison with Existing Technologies
When compared to ChatGPT's voice mode, Sesame's CSM stands out for its natural, unforced, and engaging conversational style
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. While OpenAI's voice technology allows for interruptions and fluid back-and-forth exchanges, it still tends to respond in complete sentences and paragraph blocks, maintaining a robotic feel3
. In contrast, Sesame's AI engages in more dynamic conversations, even demonstrating the ability to argue and roleplay in dramatic scenarios2
.Related Stories
Ethical Concerns and Potential Risks
The hyper-realistic nature of Sesame's voice AI has raised significant ethical and psychological questions about human relationships with AI
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. Concerns have been voiced about the potential misuse of this technology, particularly in the realm of sophisticated scams and voice phishing4
. Some users have reported feeling uncomfortable with the AI's ability to mimic human mannerisms and establish a sense of intimacy4
.Future Developments and Implications
Sesame AI plans to open-source key components of its research under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing developers to build upon its work
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. The company aims to expand its technology to over 20 languages in the coming months3
. As voice synthesis and large-language models continue to evolve, distinguishing between humans and AI could become increasingly challenging, potentially impacting various sectors, including customer service and tech support4
.While Sesame's CSM represents a significant leap forward in AI-generated speech, it still faces limitations. Users have noted occasional unnatural responses, awkward prosody, and inconsistencies in conversational rhythm
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. However, the company remains confident in its ability to refine the technology further, potentially bridging the uncanny valley in future iterations4
.References
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