News/Voice
Microsoft makes Copilot Voice and Think Deeper features free with unlimited access
Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant, launched in 2023 as part of the Bing search engine, has been a key part of the company's artificial intelligence strategy. In a significant update, Microsoft has removed usage limits on two premium features - Voice interactions and the Think Deeper function powered by OpenAI's o1 reasoning model. Key changes: Microsoft has eliminated previous restrictions on Voice and Think Deeper features in Copilot, making these advanced capabilities freely available to all users with unlimited access. The Think Deeper feature, which uses OpenAI's o1 reasoning model, previously had usage caps for free users but is now available...
read Feb 25, 2025AI voiceover in Gabby Petito documentary sparks viewer outrage
The tragic murder of 22-year-old Gabby Petito in 2021 captivated social media and true crime communities as the case unfolded in real-time through her travel vlogs and social media posts. Netflix's new docuseries "American Murder: Gabby Petito" has sparked controversy by using AI technology to recreate Petito's voice for narrating her personal journal entries. Key details of the controversy: Netflix's three-part documentary series employs AI-generated voice technology to narrate Petito's writings, with explicit permission from her family. The series begins with a disclaimer explaining that Petito's journal entries and text messages are narrated using voice recreation technology Director Michael Gasparro...
read Feb 24, 2025YouTube for Android TV adds labels to videos dubbed by AI
New AI dubbing features on YouTube now allow viewers to watch content in their native language by automatically translating audio tracks. The platform has recently added interface indicators to help viewers identify which videos have been AI-dubbed when watching on Android TV and Google TV devices. Key Features and Implementation: YouTube's Android TV interface now displays a "Dubbed" tag with a speaking icon beneath video titles to indicate AI-translated audio content. The tag appears alongside existing indicators like "Subtitles" in a grey text box under the video title, channel name, and view count The feature's visibility varies by region and...
read Feb 24, 2025APK Teardown: Google to bring 4 new AI voices to Android app
Artificial intelligence features in Google Search are expanding beyond text interactions to include enhanced voice capabilities, with new voice options discovered in recent beta testing. Google's upcoming AI Mode for Search aims to create a more natural, conversation-like experience for users performing voice searches. Latest developments: Google has quietly introduced four new voice options in its latest Android app beta, signaling a significant expansion of voice-based AI search capabilities. The new voices, codenamed Jungle, Lime, Royal, and Sapphire, are distinct from existing Gemini voice options An updated Voice settings page includes a new "Spoken results" feature, suggesting AI Mode will...
read Feb 23, 20255 practical tips to boost your productivity with NotebookLM
AI audio learning has evolved significantly, with Google's NotebookLM now offering the ability to transform written content into AI-generated podcast discussions. This tool allows users to convert documents and research materials into conversational audio formats, making complex information more digestible through simulated expert discussions. Here are five productivity-boosting tips to get the most out of this new tool. Comprehensive Source Collection Compile all relevant materials into a single notebook before starting Upload documents simultaneously to help NotebookLM identify patterns and connections Create a centralized repository of information for better context and insights Interactive Engagement Take advantage of the tool's interactive...
read Feb 22, 2025New AI publishing platform lets readers talk with their favorite classic books
The study of complex philosophical and literary works has long challenged readers seeking deeper understanding without direct access to scholarly expertise. Rebind, a new electronic publishing platform launched by UMass Lowell professor John Kaag, combines artificial intelligence with expert commentary to make challenging texts more accessible and interactive. The innovation: Rebind has developed an AI-powered platform that allows readers to interact directly with expert commentary on classic literary works through a web browser interface. The platform features built-in chatbots trained on extensive commentary from leading scholars and authors Readers can type or speak questions about specific passages, receiving instant expert...
read Feb 21, 2025RingCentral unveils AI receptionist for automated call handling
RingCentral's new AI Receptionist (AIR) represents a significant advancement in automated business phone systems, moving beyond traditional virtual agents to offer comprehensive call handling capabilities. The solution aims to transform how businesses manage incoming calls by leveraging generative AI to handle customer inquiries and route calls effectively. Key Innovation: RingCentral's AIR platform distinguishes itself from conventional contact center solutions by providing an accessible, ready-to-use AI phone system that requires minimal technical setup. The system can autonomously handle common customer questions, share business information, and direct calls to appropriate departments Businesses can deploy AIR across multiple locations while maintaining consistent service...
read Feb 19, 2025For Apple to maintain its competitive edge, Siri needs these unreleased features
Apple is preparing significant upgrades to Siri in iOS 18 that leverage artificial intelligence capabilities through Apple Intelligence. While some new features are already available, three major AI-powered capabilities remain in development and could prove crucial for Apple's competitive position in the voice assistant market. Current state of Siri: The iOS 18 update has introduced ten new features to Siri, including improved request handling, conversational context, and ChatGPT integration, but the most transformative changes are still unreleased. A new visual design replaces the floating orb with a rainbow glow around device edges Siri now features more natural voice synthesis and...
read Feb 19, 2025Fiverr empowers freelancers to build custom AI models that include voiceovers, graphic design and more
The freelance marketplace Fiverr has expanded its platform capabilities to include AI model creation and training, marking a significant shift in how freelancers can monetize their expertise. This new feature allows creative professionals to develop custom AI models based on their own work, which clients can then purchase to generate content that combines AI efficiency with professional expertise. Key Development: Fiverr's new AI initiative, called Fiverr Go, enables freelancers to create and sell access to AI models trained specifically on their individual work portfolios. The platform will allow creators to maintain control over their creative process and rights while monetizing...
read Feb 19, 2025AI Pin startup plagued by unsatisfied customers folds as HP acquires its technology
In 2023, Humane created a Star Trek-inspired AI pin device designed to replace smartphones through voice-assistant interactions, but the product failed to gain traction due to performance issues and a high price point. Technology giant HP has now stepped in to acquire Humane's AI assets and intellectual property, marking the end of the startup's hardware ambitions. The acquisition details: HP is investing $116 million to acquire Humane's AI capabilities, staff, and over 300 patents and patent applications. The deal includes the creation of a new AI innovation lab called HP IQ, which will be staffed by former Humane employees Humane's...
read Feb 18, 2025Open-source AI converts books to audio for free, though with narration challenges
Take a book. Leave a book. Or make a book! The emergence of artificial intelligence text-to-speech technology has enabled new tools for creating audiobooks, with open source solutions now becoming available to the public. Autiobooks represents a significant development in this space, offering free audiobook creation capabilities to users with technical knowledge. Key Features and Setup: Autiobooks leverages the Kokoro AI text-to-speech model to transform epub files into audiobooks through a home computer setup. The installation process requires command line experience, presenting a barrier for non-technical users Once configured, the tool provides a straightforward graphical interface for converting ebooks The...
read Feb 17, 2025Amazon’s Alexa AI upgrade faces yet another delay, raising doubts
Alexa is not so new, but it aims to improve. Yet there are hurdles. Amazon has scheduled a February 26th event in New York to unveil a significantly upgraded version of its Alexa virtual assistant powered by advanced AI capabilities. However, recent reports suggest technical hurdles may force another delay in the actual release of these new features, following a previous postponement from 2024. Development status: Amazon's enhanced Alexa AI is reportedly struggling with accuracy issues during internal testing, potentially pushing its launch date to March 31, 2025. Internal tests reveal the AI is making too many mistakes when responding...
read Feb 12, 2025Convincing AI voice scam targeting CEOs leads to cash freeze by Italian police, fraudsters get the boot
The rapid evolution of AI technology has enabled sophisticated voice cloning scams, as demonstrated by a recent high-profile fraud case in Italy targeting prominent business figures. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto's voice was artificially replicated by scammers who used it to solicit urgent financial transfers under the guise of rescuing kidnapped journalists. The scam's methodology: Fraudsters orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving fake calls from government offices and AI-generated voice impersonation of Italy's Defense Minister. The scammers posed as defense ministry officials, making calls that appeared to originate from Rome government offices They claimed urgent funds were needed to secure the release...
read Feb 10, 2025West Chester University faces backlash for using AI announcer at commencement
The controversy over AI-powered name announcements at graduation ceremonies has sparked debate about the balance between technological accuracy and personal touch in academic traditions. West Chester University (WCU) recently found itself at the center of this discussion after contracting with Tassel, a graduation services company, to address long-standing issues with name mispronunciations at commencement ceremonies. Initial controversy and student response: West Chester University faced significant backlash from students over the use of AI-generated name announcements at graduation ceremonies. More than 1,000 people signed a petition organized by senior Elisa Magello, calling for the return of human announcers to preserve tradition...
read Feb 10, 2025AI mind clones raise both eyebrows and ethical questions about digital replicas
The concept of AI mind clones - digital replicas of human intelligence and personality - is moving from science fiction to reality, with companies like NewBots Studio and Delphi pioneering technology that can replicate human thought patterns and expertise. This emerging technology allows individuals and businesses to create digital versions of themselves or access simulated versions of historical figures' intelligence. The current landscape: AI mind cloning technology is gaining traction through implementations by prominent figures and technological advancements. Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of Osaka University's Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, has created AI-powered robotic replicas of himself that can deliver lectures and answer...
read Feb 8, 2025Meta-UNESCO partnership will bring AI translation to underserved languages worldwide
Meta has launched a new Language Technology Partner Programme in collaboration with UNESCO to enhance AI translation and speech recognition capabilities for underserved and indigenous languages worldwide. Program Overview; The initiative, spearheaded by Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, combines open-source AI models with research to expand linguistic diversity in digital spaces. The program seeks partners to contribute speech recordings, transcriptions, and translated text to improve AI language models The Government of Nunavut, Canada has already joined the initiative, providing data for Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun languages Partners must contribute at least 10 hours of speech recordings with transcriptions and 200+...
read Feb 7, 2025Los Alamos is using Meta’s speech recognition AI to detect earthquakes
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have adapted Meta's speech recognition AI model, Wav2Vec-2.0, to analyze seismic activity and better understand fault behavior patterns. Key innovation: Meta's Wav2Vec-2.0, originally designed for speech recognition, has been repurposed to study seismic signals, treating earth movements as acoustic patterns similar to human speech. The research team applied the AI model to analyze data from Hawaii's 2018 Kilauea volcano collapse The adaptation leverages similarities between speech patterns and seismic wave signatures Nvidia GPUs were utilized to process extensive seismic datasets efficiently Technical implementation: The AI system was trained on continuous seismic waveforms and refined...
read Feb 7, 2025Meta AI research focuses on human-centered approaches for improved communication, robotics
Meta FAIR (Fundamental AI Research) has released new advancements in robotics, language technology, and audio processing aimed at developing more sophisticated and socially intelligent AI systems. Core developments: Meta's latest research focuses on three major areas: human-robot collaboration, language technology democratization, and audio processing enhancement. The PARTNR framework introduces a new benchmark and dataset for training robots to collaborate with humans on everyday tasks A language technology partnership program aims to expand support for underserved and indigenous languages Meta Audiobox Aesthetics provides a new standard for evaluating audio quality across different modalities PARTNR breakthrough: Meta's new robotics framework represents a...
read Feb 7, 2025Simpson’s star Hank Azaria condemns AI voices replacing humans
Hank Azaria, veteran voice actor of "The Simpsons," has expressed concerns about artificial intelligence potentially replicating his numerous character voices from the show's 36-year run. Key concerns and context: Azaria, who has voiced iconic characters like Moe the bartender and Chief Wiggum since 1989, addressed the growing threat of AI voice replication in a New York Times piece. The actor has created over 100 distinct character voices during his tenure on "The Simpsons" With 36 years of recorded dialogue available, Azaria believes AI has substantial material to analyze and potentially replicate his performances His character Moe alone has expressed numerous...
read Feb 5, 2025AI tool CodeSignal simulates difficult conversations to train better leaders
CodeSignal has launched an AI-powered conversation simulation tool that makes leadership training accessible at a fraction of traditional costs, expanding beyond its core technical assessment business. Core innovation: CodeSignal's new platform uses voice-enabled AI to create realistic workplace scenario simulations, featuring an AI mentor named Cosmo that provides real-time coaching. The system allows users to practice challenging workplace conversations like delivering feedback and resolving conflicts Traditional leadership training programs typically cost $20,000-$40,000 per person for a one-month program The new platform is priced at $25 monthly for individuals and $39 per user monthly for enterprise licenses Market impact and adoption:...
read Feb 5, 2025Amazon prepares to unveil AI-powered Alexa upgrade
Amazon's upcoming AI-powered revamp of Alexa represents the voice assistant's most significant upgrade since its launch, with plans for a February 26 preview event in New York. The major upgrade: Amazon aims to transform Alexa into a more sophisticated conversational AI assistant capable of handling complex, multi-step interactions. The new version will enable more natural conversations and sequential prompts, potentially allowing Alexa to act as an autonomous agent for users Internal development teams have dubbed the project "Banyan" and "Remarkable Alexa" Amazon will maintain the existing "Classic Alexa" as a free service while introducing the enhanced version Launch timeline and...
read Feb 5, 2025India builds first open-source audio language model using Llama
Sarvam AI has developed India's first open-source audio language model, Shuka v1, by integrating Meta's Llama model to process voice queries across multiple Indian languages. Project overview: Shuka v1 represents a significant breakthrough in multilingual audio comprehension, combining Llama's language processing capabilities with a custom audio encoder to handle voice interactions in ten Indian languages. The system utilizes Llama as a decoder to process audio tokens generated by Sarvam's proprietary audio encoder Shuka v1 can accurately interpret and respond to voice queries in languages including Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, and Marathi The open-source nature of the model allows government departments and...
read Feb 5, 2025AI grandma Daisy battles scammers with surprising results
Two months ago, British telecommunications provider O2 announced Daisy, an AI-powered chatbot designed to waste scammers' time. O2 is now beginning to share the results of its chatbot in action. The innovation: Daisy specifically targets phone scammers by keeping them engaged in pointless conversations. The AI bot, nicknamed Daisy, presents herself as an elderly grandmother and expertly deploys tactics like searching for glasses, discussing recipes, and reminiscing about the past Conversations can last up to 40 minutes, effectively preventing scammers from targeting actual potential victims during this time The system was trained on real scam call data, enabling it to...
read Feb 1, 2025Google’s latest AI feature ‘Ask for Me’ will call local businesses for you
Google has launched a new AI-powered feature called "Ask for Me" that can make phone calls to local businesses on behalf of users to schedule appointments and gather information. What's new: Google's Ask for Me tool leverages artificial intelligence to make automated calls to businesses, currently focused on nail salons and auto shops, to handle basic inquiries and scheduling. Users can access the feature through Google Search Labs when looking up local service providers The system asks users specific questions about their needs, such as service type, vehicle details, and preferred appointment times Customers must provide contact information to receive...
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