In a surprising move, OpenAI has made its previously paid ChatGPT voice chat feature free to all users. This decision comes amidst ongoing turmoil at the company, including the sacking of CEO Sam Altman and messy negotiations for his potential return.
Users can now access the voice chat feature by tapping the headphones icon in the ChatGPT mobile app. This allows them to converse with ChatGPT using their voice and receive audio responses.
OpenAI launched the voice chat feature in September first but it was exclusive to paying users. The latest announcement makes it free for all users.
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OpenAI’s announcement of the free voice feature on social media site X includes a lighthearted joke about the company’s ongoing internal drama. In the example, someone asks ChatGPT how many pizzas to order for 778 people, a reference to OpenAI’s employee count and the current threat of mass resignations from its over 500 employees.
The ongoing drama at OpenAI began with the firing of co-founder and CEO Sam Altman after the board found him to be “not consistently candid in his communications.” Since then, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has offered Altman and his team a new division at Microsoft, but there are talks that Altman could return to OpenAI.
Former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, who resigned after Altman’s ousting, has expressed his support for the free voice feature, calling it a “game-changer” for the ChatGPT experience. Brockman announced his resignation in solidarity with Altman, one of his close confidante and co-founders at OpenAI.
The resignation of Altman and Brockman led to a chain reaction at the company. According to tech journalist Kara Swisher, more than 500 employees at OpenAI have sent a letter to company’s board demanding resignation over unfair ousting of Altman and even threatened to join Altman at Microsoft.
Amidst the internal turmoil, OpenAI’s decision to make the voice chat feature free to all users suggests an effort to maintain user engagement and regain public trust.
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