OpenAI unveils new AI model with ChatGPT voice conversations

May 13 (Reuters) -- ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Monday it would release a new AI model called GPT-4o, capable of realistic voice conversation and able to interact across text and vision, its latest move to stay ahead in a race to dominate the emerging technology.

The new audio capabilities enable users to speak to ChatGPT and obtain real-time responses with no delay, as well as interrupt ChatGPT while it is speaking, both hallmarks of realistic conversations that AI voice chatbots have not had until now, the OpenAI researchers showed at a livestream event.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI faces growing competition and pressure to expand the user base of ChatGPT, its popular chatbot product that wowed the world with its ability to produce human-like written content and top-notch software code.

OpenAI said it would roll out its new AI model over the next few weeks. Its chief technology officer, Mira Murati, said at the event that the new GPT-4o model would be offered for free because it is more efficient than the company's previous models.

OpenAI researchers showed off ChatGPT's new voice assistant capabilities. In one demonstration, the ChatGPT voice assistant was able to read out a bedtime story in different voices, emotions and tones.

In a second demonstration, the ChatGPT voice assistant used its vision capabilities to walk through solving a math equation written on a sheet of paper.

The researchers also demonstrated the GPT-4o model's capability of real-time language translation.

Paid users of GPT-4o will have greater capacity limits than the company's paid users, Murati said.

Shortly after launching in late 2022, ChatGPT was called the fastest application to ever reach 100 million monthly active users. However, worldwide traffic to