This Week in AI: Advanced Voice Mode, Major Departures at OpenAI, and Meta’s Ground-breaking Announcements

Hey AI enthusiasts! What a huge week it’s been in the AI world. From major announcements to behind-the-scenes shakeups, there’s a lot to dive into. Let’s break down the key highlights!

OpenAI Rolls Out Advanced Voice Mode for All Plus and Teams Users

The much-anticipated Advanced Voice Mode is now live for everyone with a Plus or Teams account on ChatGPT. I did a full demo, and it’s every bit as cool as you'd expect. If you're having trouble accessing it, a quick uninstall and reinstall seems to fix it. This new feature brings a more natural way to interact with AI, and some users have even gotten it to duet with them—like singing Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles! Pretty wild, right?

However, OpenAI has also introduced some daily limits to how much you can use the voice feature, but the exact numbers are a bit unclear and seem to fluctuate.

On a different note, Sam Altman is reportedly getting equity in OpenAI as the company restructures into a for-profit benefit corporation. This could change the game in terms of investments, with the company’s valuation possibly hitting $150 billion. But there’s more—Mira Murati, OpenAI’s CTO, and Bob McGrew, their Chief Research Officer, both announced they’re leaving. While some might speculate on why, it seems like a natural step after years of hard work as the company scales up.

Meta Connect 2024: AI-Powered Features and Affordable Hardware

Meta came out swinging at Meta Connect 2024. They announced the new Meta Quest 3s, priced at just $299, and I can vouch for how addictive the new Batman game is (I’m hooked). But the real standout was their AI updates.

Meta is rolling out celebrity voices across its apps, including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. You can now chat with AI versions of stars like John Cena or Kristen Bell (fun fact: Kristen Bell once opposed AI use on her Instagram, so that’s a bit of a 180). Their AI is now multimodal too—meaning it can handle text, images, and even edit them on the fly.

One of the coolest features is the AI translation and lip-syncing. You can record a video in English, and Meta’s AI will translate it to other languages, syncing your lips so it looks like you’re speaking in that language. Super useful for reaching a broader audience on platforms like Instagram!

Stability AI Welcomes James Cameron to Its Board

In what has to be one of the most unexpected moves, James Cameron—yep, the guy behind Avatar and Terminator—joined the board of Stability AI. This is wild, especially since much of Hollywood is still wary of AI. Given Cameron’s history of pushing technology to its limits, I’m excited to see what comes out of this partnership.

AI Legislation Drama in California

California’s SB 1047 bill is making waves. This bill could hold model creators liable for damages caused by their AI models, and it’s creating tension between Hollywood and the tech world. With both industries pulling in opposite directions, Governor Newsom is in a tough spot. Who will he side with—tech or film? It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Google Updates: Cheaper AI and Notebook LM Evolution

Google also dropped some exciting news this week. They’re cutting the costs for developers using Gemini 1.5 Pro, and their Notebook LM platform just got a major upgrade. Now you can upload YouTube videos and audio files for analysis. It’ll even generate podcasts for you—pretty awesome, right? This could be a huge time-saver for students and professionals looking to dive deep into specific content.

Wrapping Up

From OpenAI’s new voice tools to Meta’s big AI announcements, this week has shown that AI is moving fast—and it’s only going to get crazier. Whether it’s internal shakeups or tech breakthroughs, we’re seeing the future unfold right in front of us.

What did you find most exciting this week? Let’s chat!