OpenAI has announced that its ChatGPT program can now read aloud to its users. The function with the same name can recite the responses in one of five voice options. Read Aloud can be accessed through the web version of ChatGPT as well as the ChatGPT apps for iOS and Android.
ChatGPT can now read responses to you.
On iOS or Android, tap and hold the message and then tap “Read Aloud”. We’ve also started rolling on web – click the "Read Aloud" button below the message. pic.twitter.com/KevIkgAFbG
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) March 4, 2024
The new feature is available in 37 languages and can automatically detect the language of the text it is reading. So far, the option is available for GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 users.
OpenAI announced the feature in a post on X: “ChatGPT can now read responses to you. On iOS or Android, tap and hold the message and then tap “Read Aloud.” We’ve also started rolling on the web — click the “Read Aloud” button below the message.”
The company has been striving to enhance its multimodal capabilities, hence it introduced a voice chat feature in September 2023, which allows users to input prompts verbally without needing to type. However, this will allow people to have the chatbot responses read out aloud as well.
Users can press and hold the text to access the Read Aloud player on the mobile app, enabling them to play, pause, or rewind the narration. Meanwhile, the web version displays a speaker icon beneath the text.
The update comes as Anthropic launched its Claude 3 AI chatbot, which it claims has reached “near-human” levels in some tests. Many users took to X to respond to the announcement, saying it fell short of their expectations.
Yikes if this is your answer to Claude 3
— Wilson 🌉 (@Wilson00000009) March 4, 2024
Read aloud on other AI platforms
In July 2023, Google incorporated the same feature into its Gemini chatbot — formerly known as Bard — adding the option for it to vocalize its responses aloud. It supported 40 new languages, including Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi, and Spanish.
Microsoft Edge’s Read Aloud feature now works in its Windows 11 Copilot chatbot. The feature is in the testing phase and is now available for everyone.
Featured image: Canva / DALL-E
