AI groups racing to make chatbot conversations more natural, betting talking will overtake typing. OpenAI and Google updated voice offerings to sound less robotic. New models process speech directly, reducing delays and missed context.

Usage surging. Google said live voice usage doubled in year to April, conversations five times longer than text. At OpenAI, more than 150mn people use voice in ChatGPT weekly. Sarah Bird, Microsoft's responsible AI chief, sees colleagues using voice commands on GitHub.

OpenAI released ChatGPT Live last week, its first voice model in two years, addressing previous lag. Coding emerges as key use case: Sandro Gianella at OpenAI says voice helps explain intent and constraints better than typing.

Hardware startups developing new microphones and devices like Pocket and Plaud dictation tools, Sandbar ring. OpenAI expected to launch ambient voice device early next year. VC investment hit $7bn in Q1 2025 vs $1bn year prior. Despite remaining issues with noise and emotional tone, executives believe voice will become dominant interaction paradigm.