In the ever-evolving landscape of AI, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is on the cusp of a groundbreaking transformation. With the recent introduction of ‘custom instructions‘, users can now experience a more personalized and intuitive interaction with the AI model. But the possibilities don’t end there. Imagine ChatGPT with its own unique voice, ushering in a new era of conversational AI. This development is reminiscent of the past shortcomings of voice assistants like Alexa, which failed to deliver personalized experiences. 

By incorporating custom instructions, users will have the ability to use fewer prompts, making the interaction process more efficient and user-friendly as ChatGPT will now be able to remember your conversation context based on your chosen preferences, allowing for a more personalized and tailored AI interaction experience.

With the exciting development of ChatGPT remembering conversations, integrating a voice interface seems like the next logical step. Just like how Amazon’s Alexa revolutionized the way we interact with voice-controlled devices.

In the past, voice assistants like Alexa could perform tasks like sharing news and playing songs, but they lacked a personalized touch. With ChatGPT’s memory feature, we can take this interaction to a new level. Imagine booking a restaurant or listening to your favorite songs effortlessly, as ChatGPT remembers your preferences and caters to your unique needs. This evolution in the field of generative AI brings us closer to a more natural and intuitive way of interacting with technology.

How Amazon Alexa made big promises and failed

Upon its initial rollout in 2015, Alexa faced a surge of users posing curious and offbeat questions, ranging from inquiries about the meaning of life to whimsical desires. However, as time passed, Alexa’s unsatisfactory responses failed to retain users’ interest. The devices lacked the ability to deliver personalized experiences or generate significant advertising revenue for the company. As a result, users’ engagement with Alexa gradually diminished over time.

It was speculated that  generative AI will bring back Alexa from the dead, however it doesn’t look like it is going to happen anytime soon. A few months ago, Alexa was declared dead. The company pulled a plug on its ‘Amazon Alexa’ voice-assisted feature succumbing to huge operating losses. 

In addition to Amazon, other companies like Google have also shifted their focus away from their respective voice assistants, as reported earlier this year by The Information. Similarly, Microsoft’s Cortana and Samsung’s Bixby, once considered Alexa competitors, have also faced challenges and reduced prominence in the market.

Right now OpenAI has the first mover advantage in generative AI and it is not easy to catch up in this race. This is high time for OpenAI to tap the market of voice assistance before anyone else does. 

Bard breathing under the neck

Recently, Google announced  that the Bard  would be available in over 40 languages. With its latest updates, users can now listen to Bard’s responses, alongside changing the tone and style of Bard’s responses to five different options: simple, short, long, professional or casual. 

Google is making significant efforts to enhance Bard’s conversational abilities and enable generative AI to speak more naturally.  Personalised voice interaction opens up numerous use cases that are more than just asking factual details like weather outside.  

For instance like asking for recipes based on groceries, asking questions and receiving quick insights on any topic with ChatGPT holding to and fro conversation just like any other human. 

Currently, Bard has access to real-time information and events, giving it an advantage in these scenarios. In contrast, ChatGPT relies on plugins, which are only available to plus users, to access real-time data.

OpenAI in the last few days had a slew of news agency partnerships through Associated Press and American Journalist Project. Hopefully, this will help ChatGPT to have real time information just like Bard which will make personalized conversations even better. 

To stay competitive and meet user expectations, OpenAI should consider incorporating voice control into ChatGPT, transforming it into a personal virtual assistant like Jarvis from Ironman. Just like Tony Stark’s seamless conversations with Jarvis, the world is eagerly waiting for real-life AI interactions that can provide personalized and natural responses.

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