OpenAI’s new voice mode threw me into the uncanny valley

It’s strange to sit down at my desk and talk to an AI about my life — but that’s what I spent my Tuesday doing.

I’d gotten access to OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode, the new ChatGPT feature that sounds strangely like a human. When counting quickly, it’ll pretend it’s out of breath. It says “um” and “uh.” It laughs. It changes tone when talking about difficult or upbeat topics. After messing around with it, I felt equal parts amazed and uncomfortable. It sounds natural (when it isn’t glitching), it responds in seconds, and you’re able to interrupt it and ask new things — but do we need chatbots that sound like us?

Advanced Voice Mode features several different voice options, and I chose Juniper, a feminine persona reminiscent of the movie H...

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