Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

ChatGPT already listens and speaks. Soon it may see as well

By
ChatGPT meets a dog
OpenAI

ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, which allows users to converse with the chatbot in real time, could soon gain the gift of sight, according to code discovered in the platform’s latest beta build. While OpenAI has not yet confirmed the specific release of the new feature, code in the ChatGPT v1.2024.317 beta build spotted by Android Authority suggests that the so-called “live camera” could be imminently forthcoming.

OpenAI had first shown off Advanced Voice Mode’s vision capabilities for ChatGPT in May, when the feature was first launched in alpha. During a demo posted at the time, the system was able to identify that it was looking at a dog through the phone’s camera feed, identify the dog based on past interactions, recognize the dog’s ball, and associate the dog’s relationship to the ball (i.e. playing fetch).

Dog meets GPT-4o

The feature was an immediate hit with alpha testers as well. X user Manuel Sainsily employed it to great effect in answering verbal questions about his new kitten based on the camera’s video feed.

Recommended Videos

Trying #ChatGPT’s new Advanced Voice Mode that just got released in Alpha. It feels like face-timing a super knowledgeable friend, which in this case was super helpful — reassuring us with our new kitten. It can answer questions in real-time and use the camera as input too! pic.twitter.com/Xx0HCAc4To

— Manuel Sainsily (@ManuVision) July 30, 2024

Advanced Voice Mode was subsequently released in beta to Plus and Enterprise subscribers in September, albeit without its additional visual capabilities. Of course, that didn’t stop users from going wild in testing the feature’s vocal limits. Advanced Voice, “offers more natural, real-time conversations, allows you to interrupt anytime, and senses and responds to your emotions,” according to the company.

The addition of digital eyes would certainly set Advanced Voice Mode apart from OpenAI’s primary competitors Google and Meta, both of whom have in recent months introduced conversational features of their own.

Gemini Live may be able to speak more than 40 languages, but it cannot see the world around itself (at least until Project Astra gets off the ground) — nor can Meta’s Natural Voice Interactions, which debuted at the Connect 2024 event in September, use camera inputs.

OpenAI also announced today that Advanced Voice mode was now also available for paid ChatGPT Plus accounts on desktop. It was available exclusively on mobile for a bit, but can now be accessed right at your laptop or PC as well.

Topics
Andrew Tarantola
Andrew Tarantola
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew Tarantola is a journalist with more than a decade reporting on emerging technologies ranging from robotics and machine…
Microsoft Teams online vs. desktop: Which is best?
Microsoft Teams chat.

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular team collaboration and communication tools available -- we even use Microsoft Teams here at Digital Trends. You can use it in a few different ways, too, including the web service or local desktop application. But which should you use, the desktop app or the web app?

There are some advantages and disadvantages to using Teams either online or on the desktop. Let's take a look at them to help you decide which is best for you.

Read more
How to keep your Microsoft Teams status active
Man uses Microsoft Teams on a laptop in order to video chat.

Keeping your Microsoft Teams status as "Active" can be a stressful experience if your boss is constantly looking over your shoulder. It might not be the most common Teams problem, but it's one we've all experienced at some point. While you might be getting on with something productive, if the person in charge doesn't know that and doesn't take kindle to "Busy" statuses, you may want to try some tricks to keep your status active when using Microsoft Teams.

Fortunately there are a number of ways you can do that, from the honest and transparent, to the slightly sneaky. No judgement here. You do what you need to do. We're just here to teach you how to keep your Team status active.

Read more
The most common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Microsoft Teams was introduced in 2017 as a unified communication and collaboration platform aimed at helping businesses and organizations get things done. Microsoft leveraged the company's existing Office software experience and created a unified experience between Teams, Office 365, and Skype for Business. However, as with all software, things don't always go according to plan. If you're using Microsoft Teams, sometimes you can run into problems.

We're big Teams users here at Digital Trends -- it's our go-to communication and meeting tool -- and we've come across a few issues ourselves over the years. In the event you're having Microsoft Teams issues, here's how to fix some of the most common problems.

Read more