News/Voice
Voice AI startup Hume unveils custom voice creation tool
The advent of customizable AI voices has taken a significant step forward with Hume AI's launch of Voice Control, a tool that enables users to create unique AI voices by adjusting vocal characteristics without technical expertise. Product Overview: Voice Control represents an evolution of Hume's Empathic Voice Interface 2 (EVI 2) platform, focusing on voice customization rather than voice cloning. The system allows real-time adjustment of 10 distinct voice dimensions, including masculine/feminine traits, assertiveness, confidence, and enthusiasm Users can manipulate virtual sliders to fine-tune voice characteristics instantly The tool is accessible through Hume's virtual playground with free registration Technical Capabilities...
read Nov 30, 2024Bertelsmann, ElevenLabs partner to bring AI voice to vast media portfolio
The media and technology sectors are witnessing a significant partnership as German media conglomerate Bertelsmann teams up with AI company ElevenLabs to enhance content creation and production capabilities across its vast portfolio of businesses. The partnership scope: Bertelsmann and ElevenLabs are joining forces to implement AI-powered audio tools across the German media giant's extensive business network. The collaboration aims to streamline production processes and spark innovation across Bertelsmann's various media properties, including RTL Group, Penguin Random House, and BMG Currently, 36 units within Bertelsmann already utilize ElevenLabs' AI tools in their operations The partnership focuses on implementing lifelike voice and...
read Nov 29, 2024Expert tips to protect yourself from AI voice clone scams
The rapid evolution of AI technology has enabled sophisticated voice clone scams that pose an increasing threat to consumers by convincingly imitating family members and trusted contacts. Current threat landscape: Voice clone scams leveraging artificial intelligence have become a significant security concern in the UK, with 28% of adults reporting they've been targeted. Scammers can now create highly convincing voice replicas using just seconds of audio sourced from social media videos or other publicly available content Only 30% of UK adults feel confident they could identify an AI-generated voice impersonation These attacks combine traditional social engineering tactics with advanced AI...
read Nov 28, 2024AI voice cloning fools bank security in alarming test
The rapid advancement of AI voice cloning technology is raising serious concerns about the vulnerability of voice-based security systems used by major banks. Initial testing and context: Recent investigations reveal that AI-generated voice clones can successfully bypass voice identification systems used by major banks for phone banking authentication. The BBC conducted tests using AI-cloned voices of several individuals, including celebrities like Martin Lewis and actor James Nesbitt, demonstrating the technology's sophisticated capabilities The voice cloning process proved remarkably simple, requiring only a short audio sample from a radio interview Office colleagues struggled to differentiate between the original and AI-cloned voices,...
read Nov 26, 2024AI voice company ElevenLabs offers 2-month free trial in Black Friday sale
The artificial intelligence audio generation platform ElevenLabs is offering significant Black Friday discounts on its suite of voice synthesis and sound effect creation tools. Key features and capabilities: ElevenLabs provides an extensive array of AI-powered audio generation tools, from voice cloning to sound effects creation, accessible through browsers and dedicated applications. The platform offers high-quality voice cloning technology that can replicate human voices with remarkable accuracy Users can access historical voices like James Dean and Judy Garland through the Reader app A browser plugin enables automatic conversion of written articles into audio content The platform includes a robust sound effects...
read Nov 25, 2024AI-generated voices, cybersecurity and a new era of vigilance
The rapid advancement of AI-powered speech synthesis technology has created increasingly realistic artificial voices that can convincingly mimic human speech patterns, raising questions about voice authentication and security in our digital world. Current capabilities: AI voice technology has evolved to produce remarkably human-like speech, complete with accents, emotions, and natural conversational elements. ChatGPT's voice function can now respond in 50 languages, convey empathy through tone variations, and even pick up non-verbal cues like sighs Voice cloning technology can replicate specific individuals' voices, as demonstrated with the late broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson's AI-generated podcast series These systems can make phone calls,...
read Nov 22, 2024Microsoft Teams AI now translates speech in real time
Microsoft Teams is introducing an innovative AI-driven feature that will enable real-time speech translation while preserving the speaker's voice characteristics, marking a significant advancement in communication technology. Key innovation: Microsoft Teams' upcoming AI translator will allow users to converse naturally in different languages, with the system providing instantaneous voice-to-voice translation while maintaining the speaker's original voice characteristics. The feature will initially support nine languages when it launches as a preview in early 2024 This development moves beyond traditional text-based translation, entering the more complex realm of real-time speech translation The technology integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Teams' existing communication platform Business...
read Nov 22, 2024Hume AI is giving Anthropic’s Claude the power of empathy
The intersection of emotional intelligence and artificial intelligence reaches a new milestone as Hume AI partners with Anthropic to create more empathetic and human-like AI voice interactions. Core Innovation: Hume AI's Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) integrates with Anthropic's Claude AI models to create voice interactions that can understand and respond to emotional nuances in human speech. The EVI 2 platform introduces a novel voice-to-voice AI architecture capable of conducting fluid conversations with awareness of vocal tone The system can generate responses in various personalities, accents, and speaking styles Developers can either replace or integrate existing large language models with EVI...
read Nov 22, 2024Google’s NotebookLM AI tool impresses Nvidia CEO
The increasing prominence of AI tools in everyday business operations is exemplified by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's enthusiastic adoption of Google's NotebookLM, highlighting the growing importance of AI inference technologies in enterprise applications. Key developments: Nvidia reported $31 billion in AI system sales last quarter, while its CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the practical applications of AI inference technology. Huang specifically praised Google's NotebookLM, a free document analysis tool that he uses extensively for reviewing PDFs and archived papers The tool creates document summaries, generates relevant questions, enables document-based chat interactions, and can even produce podcast-style audio conversations about the content...
read Nov 19, 2024ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode is here–Heres’ how to get it
OpenAI announced its ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode from mobile to web browsers, enabling voice-based conversations with the AI chatbot through a more accessible platform. Latest Development: OpenAI's expansion of ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode to web browsers marks a significant shift in how users can interact with the AI platform. The feature, previously limited to mobile devices, is now available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers through web browsers Users can activate voice conversations by clicking the Advanced Voice icon next to the input prompt bar A pulsing blue orb indicates when the system is ready to receive voice input Technical Capabilities: The Advanced...
read Nov 18, 2024Syntheia’s AI-powered call management platform to debut in 2025
The emergence of AI-powered virtual assistants continues to transform business operations, with Syntheia Corp preparing to introduce a new solution aimed at revolutionizing call management for small and medium-sized businesses. Product Overview: Syntheia's SaaS platform leverages Natural Language Processing to create AI-powered virtual assistants that manage inbound calls and customer communications. The platform will launch in January 2025, offering 24/7 call management capabilities The solution integrates with existing phone systems without requiring major infrastructure changes AI assistants handle call routing, message taking, and real-time query responses Key Benefits and Features: The platform aims to address common communication challenges faced by...
read Nov 18, 2024AI-powered robocalls surge ahead of the 2024 election
The rise of AI-powered political robocalls and robotexts presents a growing challenge to electoral integrity and telecommunications security in the United States, with recent incidents highlighting the sophisticated nature of these threats. Current landscape: Political robocall traffic has seen a significant uptick in the lead-up to the 2024 US Presidential Election, with AI-generated deepfakes emerging as a particular concern. The first two weeks of October 2024 witnessed a surge in political robocall activity across the United States During the New Hampshire primary, deepfake audio calls mimicking President Biden demonstrated the tangible threat of AI-powered disinformation Public polling shows 70% of...
read Nov 18, 2024David Attenborough disgusted by unauthorized AI voice clone in documentary
The rise of AI voice cloning technology has reached a concerning milestone with the unauthorized replication of renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough's voice, highlighting growing concerns about digital impersonation and truth in media. Initial Discovery: The BBC recently uncovered an AI-generated clone of David Attenborough's voice promoting a documentary series about Asia, demonstrating the sophisticated capabilities of current voice synthesis technology. The broadcaster's researchers found the AI-generated clip online, which was played alongside a genuine recording of Attenborough BBC host Kasia Madera noted that the two recordings were nearly indistinguishable, stating she "wouldn't know if I didn't know" Attenborough's Response:...
read Nov 17, 2024African musicians are wrestling with how and whether to embrace AI
The growing influence of artificial intelligence in music production has sparked both excitement and concern among African artists and industry professionals, particularly regarding the preservation and promotion of the continent's diverse musical heritage. Current landscape: AI's emergence in African music is creating a complex dynamic between technological innovation and cultural preservation. Nigerian musician Eclipse Nkasi has created Mya Blue, an AI-powered virtual singer, and produced Africa's first AI-powered music album "Infinite Echoes" High-profile artists globally, including Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj, have expressed concerns about AI's potential to misappropriate artists' voices African artists face unique challenges with AI implementation due...
read Nov 17, 2024Jerry Garcia’s AI-resurrected voice is just the start of a new wave of content
The intersection of artificial intelligence and music legacy reaches a new milestone as Jerry Garcia's voice is digitally resurrected through AI technology, allowing fans to experience the Grateful Dead icon's distinctive vocals in entirely new ways. Key Development: ElevenLabs has partnered with Jerry Garcia's estate to create an AI voice model that can read various written content in multiple languages, marking a significant advancement in posthumous artist technology. The AI system can read audiobooks, e-books, articles, poetry, and other written content in 32 different languages The technology was developed in close collaboration with the Jerry Garcia Estate to maintain authenticity...
read Nov 15, 2024This grassroots initiative aims to bring more diversity to AI-generated voices
The increasing dominance of English and American accents in AI voice technology has sparked efforts to create more linguistically diverse and inclusive voice systems, with Mozilla's Common Voice project emerging as a leading grassroots initiative. Project overview and scope: Mozilla's Common Voice initiative represents a significant effort to democratize voice technology by building an open-source database of diverse speech patterns and languages. Since 2017, the project has amassed over 31,000 hours of voice recordings spanning approximately 180 languages Volunteers contribute by recording voice samples and verifying recordings submitted by others The dataset is freely available and open source, marking a...
read Nov 13, 2024This week in AI voice tech: NotebookLM, OpenAI’s Speech API and A16Z’s reactions
A new wave of voice technology and AI breakthroughs is reshaping the consumer tech landscape, with major announcements from industry leaders highlighting the growing importance of audio and speech capabilities. Key developments: Google's NotebookLM has expanded its capabilities with a new Audio Overview feature that enables podcast creation across multiple languages. The feature supports more than 35 languages, making it accessible to a global audience Users can create customizable podcast content, marking a significant step forward in AI-powered audio generation This development aligns with the growing trend of AI-assisted content creation tools Industry momentum: OpenAI has strengthened its position in...
read Nov 11, 2024AI brings Jerry Garcia’s voice back for audiobook narration
AI technology is enabling new forms of digital resurrection, with the latest example being the recreation of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia's voice for audiobook and article narration through a partnership between his estate and ElevenLabs. Key development: ElevenLabs has partnered with Jerry Garcia's estate to recreate the late musician's voice using AI technology, making it available through their ElevenReader app. Users can now hear Garcia's AI-generated voice narrate audiobooks, articles, poetry, PDFs and other content The voice model is available in 32 different languages The technology is part of what ElevenLabs calls their "Iconic Listening Experience" Project background and...
read Nov 10, 2024Why the founder of Foursquare thinks the future of AR is in your ears
AI-powered audio guidance represents a significant evolution in how we might navigate and experience cities, with new startups exploring ways to deliver location-based information directly through earbuds rather than screens. The innovation at hand: Hopscotch Labs is developing Beebot, an iPhone app that combines AI technology with AirPods to create an audio-based city navigation and discovery experience. The app delivers location-relevant information through audio as users move through urban environments, eliminating the need to constantly check phone screens By leveraging AI models from OpenAI and Claude, Beebop generates and filters content to provide contextual information about surroundings The technology may...
read Nov 5, 2024AI voice app Hume impresses but still needs improvement
Hume AI's new voice app enters the conversational AI arena: Hume AI has launched a browser-based AI voice application, leveraging its proprietary speech-language model EVI 2 and supplementary language models like Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Haiku. Key features and functionality: The app offers a diverse range of AI voices, each with distinct personalities and specialized knowledge domains, catering to various user needs. Users can interact with the AI voices through their microphone without requiring an account, enhancing accessibility. The application includes specialized AI personas for quick answers, philosophical discussions, and storytelling, among others. Hume AI's approach combines its own technology with...
read Nov 5, 2024ChatGPT Advanced Voice arrives on Mac and Windows
Advanced Voice comes to desktop: OpenAI has expanded its Advanced Voice mode to Windows and Mac versions of the ChatGPT app, bringing natural speech-to-speech interaction to desktop users. The desktop implementation of Advanced Voice functions similarly to its mobile counterpart, allowing for more natural conversations with AI. This feature enables users to interact with ChatGPT through voice while multitasking on their computers. Advanced Voice can understand not just words, but also speech patterns, pauses, and intonations, responding with human-like vocal characteristics. Key features and capabilities: The Advanced Voice mode offers a more sophisticated and natural interaction compared to traditional voice...
read Oct 31, 2024OpenAI’s advanced voice mode is now partially free: 3 essential tips for new users
Advanced voice technology now accessible in Europe: OpenAI has expanded the availability of its advanced voice mode for ChatGPT, offering European users free access with a monthly limit of 10 minutes. The advanced voice feature enhances the ChatGPT experience by providing a more engaging and realistic conversational interface. Users can now interact with the chatbot using natural speech, eliminating the need for typing and receiving responses through lifelike voices. The technology boasts low latency, ensuring quick responses and a seamless interaction between users and the AI. Usage limitations and practical applications: While the 10-minute monthly allowance may seem brief, it...
read Oct 31, 2024Android watches to offer voice recording with AI transcription and summaries
The rise of AI-powered voice notes on smartwatches: Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch now offer voice recording capabilities with AI-driven transcription and summarization, rivaling the Apple Watch's functionality. These features enable users to capture ideas and thoughts on the go, addressing the common problem of forgetting important insights that occur during activities like running. The integration of AI technology has significantly improved the accuracy and usability of voice-to-text conversion on smartwatches. Google Pixel Watch 3's voice recording capabilities: The device offers a straightforward process for recording, transcribing, and managing voice notes with some unique features. Users can easily...
read Oct 31, 2024Waze adds AI-powered voice reporting for easier road incident alerts
AI-powered navigation upgrade: Waze is introducing a new "Conversational Reporting" feature that allows users to verbally report road incidents and obstructions using natural language while driving. The feature leverages AI technology to understand context and natural language, eliminating the need for specific phrases or extra screen interactions. Users can initiate the reporting process by tapping the "reporting" button and then describing what they see, such as "There is a mattress in the road" or "There is a traffic jam up ahead." If additional information is required, Waze may ask follow-up questions to gather more specific details. Enhanced safety and user...
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