ChatGPT's new voice features in wider release

OpenAI said yesterday it is letting some members of the public try out the new voice features for ChatGPT it showed off back in May.

Why it matters: The enhanced interactive voice mode, which gained extra notoriety after Scarlett Johansson said the demo's voice sounded like hers, has been eagerly anticipated.

Driving the news: OpenAI said the feature, dubbed Advanced Voice Mode, is being offered to a small number of ChatGPT Plus subscribers starting today, and more people will gradually be added in coming weeks.

• The company says it hopes all ChatGPT subscribers will have access by the fall.

Zoom in: OpenAI demoed an impressive array of voice capabilities in May, with the assistant singing, helping calm a nervous user before a speech and offering dramatic story readings.

Between the lines: OpenAI says it has been doing additional testing to ensure the safety of the new voice features, including tapping more than 100 external "red teamers" who collectively speak 45 different languages.