Hey there! If you’re interested in AI developments, you’ll be excited to hear that Anthropic is gearing up to enhance its AI assistant, Claude, with some nifty voice capabilities. According to a Bloomberg report from April 15, this new ‘voice mode’ is set to roll out this month, though it’ll start with a limited trial. You can expect three unique voices, as discovered in the app’s iOS code. But remember, these updates might change, and Anthropic hasn’t officially commented yet.
On the same day, Anthropic also announced two more features for Claude. The first is a ‘Research’ capability, letting the AI search both your internal work environment and the web. The second is a Google Workspace integration, connecting Claude to your email, calendar, and documents. The company mentioned, ‘This is just the beginning of updates to make Claude an even better collaborator,’ and promised more content sources and deeper research abilities soon.
In 2024, both OpenAI and Meta introduced voice enhancements for their AI systems. Meta’s update brought in celebrity voices, while OpenAI added voice functionality for ChatGPT users, making interactions more natural and personalized. Valentin Radu, founder of Omniconvert, put it nicely: ‘This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about creating a real, human connection between brands and customers.’
Generative AI is breathing new life into the voice assistant sector, which was previously seeing a downturn. The PYMNTS Intelligence report, ‘GenAI and Voice Assistants: Adoption and Trust Across Generations,’ highlights this shift. While traditional voice assistant usage is declining, generative AI is gaining ground across age groups. For instance, 82% of Gen Z and 78% of zillennials are familiar with GenAI, and awareness among boomers and seniors jumped from 23% to 41% in the past year.
Another PYMNTS Intelligence report, ‘How Consumers Want to Live in the Voice Economy,’ found that 54% of consumers prefer using voice technology over typing or touchscreens because it’s faster. It’s easy to see why voice tech is becoming a go-to choice for many.
If you’re curious about how these updates might impact your day-to-day, think about the convenience and efficiency voice capabilities can bring. Whether you’re navigating your calendar or searching for information, having a voice assistant like Claude can make things smoother and more intuitive.
