OpenAI postpones launch of ChatGPT voice assistants

OpenAI has announced that it will be delaying the launch of its new voice and emotion-reading features for the ChatGPT chatbot, citing the need for additional safety testing.

Initially set to be available to some paying subscribers in late June, the release has been postponed by a month for now and is expected to roll out to all paying users sometime in the fall.

The company emphasised that the exact timing would depend on meeting their “high standards for safety and reliability.”

The announcement follows a demonstration last month that generated significant excitement among ChatGPT users.

 However, it also sparked controversy, including a potential lawsuit from actress Scarlett Johansson. Johansson alleged that OpenAI had used her voice without permission for one of its AI personas.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has denied these claims, stating that the company did not train the bot on Johansson’s voice.

 According to a report, the company had hired a different actor for the training audio, based on internal records and interviews with casting directors and the actor’s agent.

Additionally, in February, Google withdrew an AI image generator that had been criticised for producing controversial images. Similarly, Microsoft made changes to its own AI chatbot last year after it sometimes gave strange and aggressive responses.