News/Voice
Microsoft adds “Hey, Copilot” voice activation to Windows 11
Microsoft is expanding AI-powered features deeper into Windows 11's core functionality, introducing voice activation with "Hey, Copilot" and new capabilities that allow the assistant to read, edit, and manage files directly. These updates represent Microsoft's attempt to succeed where Cortana failed by leveraging generative AI to create a more capable voice assistant that can perform complex tasks autonomously. The big picture: Microsoft is transforming Windows 11's fundamental features—including the taskbar, Start menu, and File Explorer—into AI-powered interfaces that can understand natural language and take actions on users' behalf. Key new features: The rollout includes several major additions designed to make...
read Oct 7, 2025Pro-tip: 3 AI stocks draw investor focus across healthcare, voice, and analytics
Three artificial intelligence companies have emerged as standout performers in recent trading sessions, drawing investor attention through a combination of high trading volumes and innovative approaches to AI implementation. While the broader AI sector continues its rapid evolution, these particular stocks—Tempus AI, SoundHound AI, and BigBear.ai—represent distinct applications of machine learning technology across healthcare, voice interfaces, and decision intelligence. The AI investment landscape remains dynamic and volatile, with companies in this space often experiencing significant price swings as investors weigh long-term growth potential against current market uncertainties. These three stocks have distinguished themselves not just through trading activity, but through...
read Oct 6, 2025Waze debuts natural language-detecting AI voice reporting for rubberneckers
Waze has rolled out "Conversational Reporting," an AI-powered feature that allows drivers to report road hazards using natural language voice commands instead of navigating through menus. The feature, which was announced a year ago and has been in limited beta testing, leverages Google's Gemini AI capabilities to understand casual speech patterns and automatically categorize reports without requiring specific commands or additional button presses. How it works: Drivers can now report hazards by simply tapping the reporting button and speaking naturally about what they observe on the road.• Users can say things like "Looks like there are cars jammed up ahead!"...
readGet SIGNAL/NOISE in your inbox daily
All Signal, No Noise
One concise email to make you smarter on AI daily.
Words at a loss: Perplexity makes AI browser free despite massive compute costs
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas announced Wednesday that the company's Comet web browser will soon be free for all users, despite the significant compute costs associated with its autonomous AI capabilities. The move positions Perplexity, an AI-powered search company, to challenge established players while highlighting the complex economics facing AI companies as they scale their most resource-intensive features. Why this matters: The decision to offer compute-heavy AI browsing for free illustrates how startups can exploit advantages that tech giants like Google cannot easily replicate due to their massive user bases and existing infrastructure constraints. Key details: The browser's autonomous, agentic features...
read Oct 2, 2025Job alert: Y Combinator’s Liva AI offers $160K for ops lead in voice data collection
Liva AI, a Y Combinator S25 startup, is hiring a Founding Operations Lead to scale their human voice and video data collection operations. The San Francisco-based company aims to build "the world's richest library of human voice and video data" to power more realistic AI voices and faces that capture diverse ethnicities, accents, and professional backgrounds. What you should know: This is a demanding founding role requiring relocation to San Francisco and a commitment to working 12-hour days, six days a week.• The position offers $120K-$160K salary plus comprehensive benefits including free food, equipment, wellness support, and paid family leave.•...
read Oct 2, 2025Oof, Neon app breach exposes user recordings and data in major privacy failure
Neon, the app that pays users to share audio recordings for AI training, promises to return despite suffering a massive security breach that exposed users' phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts to anyone who accessed the platform. The breach has raised serious legal concerns about consent violations and potential criminal liability for users who secretly recorded conversations without permission. What you should know: The security vulnerability was so severe that it allowed complete access to all user data with no authentication required. TechCrunch discovered that anyone could access phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts of any user through the security...
read Sep 29, 2025AI voice clones fool humans with just 4 minutes of training
New research from Queen Mary University of London reveals that AI voice clones created with just four minutes of audio recordings are now indistinguishable from real human voices to average listeners. The study demonstrates how sophisticated consumer-grade AI voice technology has become, raising significant concerns about fraud, misinformation, and the potential for voice cloning scams. What you should know: Researchers tested people's ability to distinguish between real voices and AI-generated clones using readily available technology.• The study used 40 synthetic AI voices and 40 human voice clones created with ElevenLabs' consumer tool, requiring roughly four minutes of recordings per clone.•...
read Sep 25, 2025Penny for your talks? Neon app pays users $0.30 per minute to record calls for AI training
Neon, an app that records phone calls and sells them to AI companies for training data, has climbed to No. 2 on Apple's US App Store in the Social Networking category. The app pays users $0.30 per minute for calls with other Neon users and $0.15 per minute for calls with non-users, suggesting many people are willing to trade privacy for compensation. How it works: Neon records phone conversations and sells the audio data to AI developers to help train speech recognition systems. Users earn money for each minute of recorded conversation, with earnings capped at $30 per day plus...
read Sep 24, 2025Faux pas! French voice actor sues game studio over AI voice cloning in Tomb Raider
French video game developer Aspyr used AI to clone voice actor Françoise Cadol's distinctive performance as Lara Croft without her permission in an August update to "Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered." The incident has ignited widespread concern among voice actors and gaming fans about unauthorized AI voice cloning, highlighting broader workplace automation threats as the technology becomes more accessible and difficult to regulate. What happened: Gamers immediately detected that something was wrong with Lara Croft's French voice in the August 14 update, describing it as robotic and lifeless compared to Cadol's original performance. Cadol, who has voiced the character since 1996,...
read Sep 22, 2025Google tests AI-style voice search redesign in Android app
Google is testing a redesigned voice and song search interface in its Android app that aligns with the company's AI Mode aesthetics. The new interface removes recent search suggestions and incorporates pulsing animations similar to those used in Google's AI features, signaling a broader shift toward AI-integrated user experiences across Google's mobile applications. What you should know: The redesigned interface represents a significant departure from Google's current voice search functionality. The new design eliminates previous and suggested searches that currently appear below the "listening..." prompt. Voice search now uses the same pulsing animation found in Google's AI Mode, asking users...
read Sep 17, 2025Zoom launches camera-ready, non-bed head AI avatars that attend meetings for you
Zoom is launching photorealistic AI avatars that can attend meetings on your behalf, allowing users to appear polished even when they're not "camera-ready." The feature, rolling out to Workplace users in December, represents a significant step toward CEO Eric Yuan's vision of digital twins that can handle tasks like meetings and emails autonomously. How it works: Users can create AI avatars by uploading or capturing photos directly in the app, then customize them with professional outfits.• The avatar tracks your real-time movements and speech during meetings, creating a lifelike representation even if you just rolled out of bed.• This builds...
read Sep 17, 2025“Who may I say is calling?” AT&T tests AI receptionist to automatically screen spam calls
AT&T is testing an AI-powered digital receptionist that will automatically screen incoming calls to determine if they're legitimate or spam. The feature will roll out to select customers throughout 2025, using voice-to-voice and agentic AI to ask callers questions before deciding whether to put the call through or handle it independently. How it works: The AI receptionist answers calls on your behalf and conducts a brief screening conversation to assess the caller's legitimacy. It asks questions like "Who may I say is calling?" or "What is this in regard to?" to determine if the caller is human or bot and...
read Sep 10, 2025Hello Patient raises $22.5M for AI voice agents handling 20K daily calls
Hello Patient raised $22.5 million in Series A funding led by Scale Venture Partners, valuing the AI healthcare communications startup at $100 million. The company's AI voice agents now handle 10,000 to 20,000 provider-patient conversations daily across medical practices, representing explosive growth from just hundreds per day in October. What you should know: Hello Patient has built generative AI call agents that handle comprehensive patient communications across voice, text, and chat for outpatient medical practices.• The platform manages appointment booking, patient questions, and reengagement while meeting HIPAA compliance standards for healthcare privacy and security.• In less than a year, the...
read Sep 5, 2025Amazon slashes AI voice recorder price 46% to all-time low
Amazon has discounted the Recolx AI Voice Recorder to $69.99, marking it down 46% from its regular price of $129.99 in what the retailer calls its "all-time lowest price ever." The productivity device combines traditional voice recording with ChatGPT 5.0-powered AI features, targeting professionals returning to office environments who need seamless voice-to-text capabilities for meetings, interviews, and content creation. Key features: The Recolx Voice Recorder integrates multiple productivity functions into a single MagSafe-compatible device that attaches magnetically to smartphones. The device works with Apple iPhone, Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S25, and other mobile devices through wireless connectivity. AI-powered features include...
read Sep 5, 2025Whoa, Timekettle’s $349 W4 AI earbuds translate 42 languages with “bone conduction” tech
Timekettle has launched the W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds, real-time translation earbuds priced at $349 that use bone conduction technology to improve voice recognition accuracy in noisy environments. The earbuds represent a more affordable and casual-friendly alternative to the company's $449 over-ear W4 Pro, featuring a modern wireless earbud design optimized for everyday translation needs across 42 languages and 95 accents. Key features: The W4 AI earbuds combine traditional microphones with bone conduction sensors to achieve up to 98 percent translation accuracy, even in loud environments. The bone conduction technology detects voice vibrations through head bones, allowing for more accurate speech...
read Sep 4, 2025Major miniaturization: Anker’s quarter-sized AI recorder transcribes 100+ languages for $100
Anker has unveiled the Soundcore Work, a coin-sized AI voice recorder designed to automatically transcribe and summarize meetings with a single click. At just 0.91 inches across—roughly the size of a quarter—the device represents a significant miniaturization breakthrough in AI-powered meeting technology, offering professional transcription capabilities in an ultra-portable form factor that can be worn on clothing or a lanyard. What you should know: The Soundcore Work combines advanced AI capabilities with unprecedented portability for meeting documentation. The device can transcribe over 100 languages automatically and distinguish between different speakers while removing unwanted words and filler language. It offers eight...
read Sep 4, 2025AI voice tech and ambient AI help UK doctors stay ahead of schedule for first time in years
Ambient AI and voice recognition technologies are transforming healthcare workflows by automating documentation and streamlining administrative tasks for overwhelmed medical professionals. These advances are particularly impactful in UK general practice settings, where GPs can now dictate consultation summaries and referral letters directly into digital platforms, helping them stay ahead of schedule for the first time in years. The big picture: Healthcare professionals spend equal time documenting patient interactions as they do consulting with patients, contributing significantly to burnout and inefficiencies in primary care settings. How it works: Modern voice recognition systems use advanced AI to transcribe naturally spoken language in...
read Sep 4, 2025Synthesia’s Express-2 creates hyperrealistic AI avatars in just 1 hour
Synthesia has unveiled Express-2, its latest AI avatar technology that creates hyperrealistic digital clones with more natural movements, expressive voices, and improved accent preservation. The advancement marks a significant leap toward AI avatars that are nearly indistinguishable from real humans, with the company planning to introduce interactive capabilities that will allow these digital clones to engage in real-time conversations. What you should know: The new Express-2 model represents a dramatic improvement over previous AI avatar technology, addressing many of the uncanny valley issues that plagued earlier versions. Previous avatars suffered from jerky movements, accent slippage, and mismatched facial expressions that...
read Sep 4, 2025An AI assistant for the nursing assistant: Nursa unveils time-saving scheduling tool with voice commands
Nursa has launched an AI-powered scheduling assistant that enables healthcare facilities to post nursing shifts within seconds using voice commands, photo uploads, or file imports. The tool, called Nursa Intelligence Assistant (NIA), addresses a critical bottleneck in healthcare staffing by automating the repetitive data entry that traditionally slows down shift posting for facilities managing hundreds of shifts monthly. How it works: NIA offers three methods for creating shift listings within Nursa's nationwide nursing platform. Healthcare coordinators can speak directly to the AI assistant, describing their shift requirements in natural language. They can photograph handwritten shift information or scheduling notes, which...
read Sep 3, 2025Apple tests Google’s Gemini AI for Siri upgrade
Apple and Google have reached a formal agreement for Apple to evaluate and test Google's Gemini AI model to potentially power an upgraded version of Siri currently in development. The deal comes as Apple works to modernize its voice assistant for the AI era while also developing an AI-powered search feature called "World Knowledge Answers" targeted for release next year. What you should know: Apple is testing multiple AI models for Siri's upgrade, including its own models alongside options from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The formal agreement with Google allows Apple to evaluate Gemini specifically for the voice assistant project,...
read Sep 3, 2025Google Gemini replaces Assistant on Home devices starting in October
Google has announced that Gemini will replace Google Assistant on Google Home devices starting October 1, 2025, marking the end of an era for the company's original voice assistant. The integration promises more natural conversations through Gemini Live and enhanced automation capabilities, though questions remain about which features will require paid subscriptions. What you should know: Google first announced Gemini integration for smart home devices at its I/O event in May, but has now set a firm launch date. Users can sign up for updates through a link Google posted on X to know when Gemini becomes available on their...
read Sep 3, 2025India’s Jio Haptik launches WhatsApp AI agents with 24/7 capabilities for SMBs
Jio Haptik, a subsidiary of Reliance Jio, has launched WhatsApp AI agents for enterprises and small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), with pricing starting at Rs 10,000. This in-house solution enables voice AI automation for business operations, potentially allowing thousands of SMBs across India to reduce employee costs while maintaining 24/7 customer service capabilities. What you should know: The agentic AI platform provides voice AI agent capabilities that automate routine business functions around the clock. Small clinics can take appointments continuously without requiring a receptionist on duty. Educational institutes can answer course-related queries instantly, even outside office hours. The solution aims to help...
read Sep 1, 2025AI transforms voice calls, clunky IVR into a customer service comeback
Voice calls are staging a comeback in AI-powered contact centers, defying predictions that digital channels would replace phone-based customer service. This resurgence is driven by artificial intelligence that enhances rather than replaces human conversation, making voice interactions more intelligent while preserving the immediacy and trust that customers seek for complex or urgent issues. The big picture: AI is transforming voice from a legacy channel into a sophisticated customer experience tool that combines human empathy with intelligent automation. Speech recognition and natural language processing have eliminated rigid interactive voice response (IVR) menus, enabling AI assistants to understand context, emotion, and nuance....
read Aug 28, 2025OpenAI upgrades Realtime API with phone calling and image support
OpenAI has upgraded its Realtime API to general availability and launched gpt-realtime, its most advanced speech-to-speech model, with new capabilities including remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, image inputs, and phone calling functionality. These enhancements enable developers to build more sophisticated voice agents that can access broader tools and data sources while maintaining natural, human-like interactions across multiple languages and complex tasks. What you should know: The Realtime API updates significantly expand what voice agents can accomplish through enhanced connectivity and multimodal capabilities. The API now supports remote MCP servers, allowing voice agents to seamlessly perform actions from connected apps...
read