A.I.’s ‘Her’ Era Has Arrived
The New York Times
New chatbot technology can talk, laugh and sing like a human. What comes next is anyone’s guess.
A lifelike artificial intelligence with a smooth, alluring voice enchants and impresses its human users — flirting, telling jokes, fulfilling their desires and eventually winning them over.
I’m summarizing the plot of the 2013 movie “Her,” in which a lonely introvert named Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seduced by a virtual assistant named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
But I might as well be describing the scene on Monday when OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, showed off an updated version of its A.I. voice assistant at an event in San Francisco.
The company’s new model, called GPT-4o (the o stands for “omni”) will let ChatGPT talk to users in a much more lifelike way — detecting emotions in their voices, analyzing their facial expressions and changing its own tone and cadence depending on what a user wants. If you ask for a bedtime story, it can lower its voice to a whisper. If you need advice from a sassy friend, it can speak in a playful, sarcastic tone. It can even sing on command.
The new voice feature, which ChatGPT users will be able to start using for free in the coming weeks, immediately drew comparisons to Samantha from “Her.” (Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, who has praised the movie, posted its title on X after Monday’s announcement, making the connection all but official.)
On social media, users hailed the arrival of an A.I. voice assistant that will finally understand them, or at least pretend that it does.
Donald J. Trump has embraced tabloids, reality TV, Twitter and cable news. This year, he moved on to podcasts and online streamers.
Donald J. Trump spent his first presidency on a collision course with America’s central bank. Will it intensify?
A little-known investment banker, a former hedge fund star and an acolyte of George Soros have the president-elect’s ear.
The U.S. presidential election result has ensured a sharp turn in economic policy expected to upend global commerce and diverge from decades of American norms.
Angel Sivado tries to move people from the streets to permanent housing. A new law makes helping her clients more of a challenge.
About 33,000 workers at the aerospace manufacturer had been on strike for nearly two months, having rejected two earlier contract offers.
Right-wing groups, which use Telegram to organize real-world actions, are urging followers to watch the polls and stand up for their rights, in a harbinger of potential chaos.
The billionaire has effectively become the star of his social media platform, transforming X into a reflection of his personal views before the election.
Many rural Americans engage in cashless barter systems to get food and firewood for heating and cooking. They value self-sufficiency, making them wary of government intervention.
Employers added 12,000 jobs in October, with hiring hit by strikes and storms. The unemployment rate was steady, at 4.1 percent, in the last major report before an election in which the economy is a top issue for voters.
To prepare for ever-longer shopping season, thousands of employees were assembled for a retail jamboree in Florida’s August heat.