You’ve seen plenty of AI text, images, and video. Now get ready for yet another artificially intelligent sensory experience: ChatGPT can now talk to you.
ChatGPT’s new feature, “Read Aloud,” lets you hear what the generative text chatbot has to say. It’s available on both the web and mobile, with a voiceover audio that continues talking even when you leave the ChatGPT screen to move to another page.
Here’s how the tool works and how you can benefit from using it.
How Can I Get ChatGPT to Read Aloud to Me?
To test out the audio AI function, start by submitting a prompt to ChatGPT like normal — this could be instructions for how to plan a vacation or shop for groceries, or it might be a story. Once you have the response text that you need read, take these steps:
- Tap and hold on the response text. A small dropdown menu will appear.
- Click the “Read Aloud” option. An audio player will appear on your screen.
- Click the “Play” button. Enjoy your custom audio!
- You can also hit the Pause, Fastforward, and Rewind icons in order to control how you hear the audio, as needed.
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The audio is read in a voice designed to sound as “natural” as possible, so be ready for some random pauses that prevent the entire audio from sounding robotic.
You can also edit the type of voice that you want ChatGPT to use. You can hear five different types of voice patterns, ranging from male to female to androgynous. The five voices are called Jupiter, Breeze, Ember, Cove and Sky.
You can toggle between those options by going to Settings > Speech > Voice
What Can You Use ChatGPT Read Aloud For?
People hoping to benefit from ChatGPT probably don’t need the audio option in order to hold a conversation — ChatGPT’s responses might not be long enough to justify hitting the audio option for each and every one.
But if you’ve asked it for a lengthy explainer, you might need your hands and eyes free to work on whatever you’re learning about. One of the most common use cases for ChatGPT’s new AI audio tool is likely handiwork: If ChatGPT is explaining how to put together a bed frame or how to unclog a sink, you might need an audio explanation while your hands are full.
Those with visual impairments can benefit from the audio option as well.
How You Can Get Started With ChatGPT Today
ChatGPT can’t be trusted for everything. Don’t turn to it for legal advice or homework help. But it can give you a first draft idea for plenty of chores that you may have been putting off for a rainy day. Perhaps it could suggest how to decorate your apartment, plan a trip, or come up with a thoughtful birthday gift for a friend.
Check out our full guide to using ChatGPT here, complete with all the price plans to know. More advanced options including creating your own ChatGPT bot, or “GPT,” as well as a few lists of AI prompts to consider.
Perhaps most important for all the aspiring chatbot masterminds out there, however, is one of our most recent guides: What is “tech neck?” — our guide to avoiding neck pain from all the hunching you might be doing while figuring out the perfect ChatGPT prompt.
