OpenAI’s Voice Cloning Tool Remains in Preview After a Year

A year after its announcement, OpenAI’s Voice Engine, a tool capable of cloning voices with minimal audio input, remains in a limited preview phase with no clear launch date.

Back in March last year, OpenAI dropped a sneak peek of Voice Engine—this nifty AI service that can clone your voice with just a 15-second audio clip. Pretty cool, right? But here’s the kicker: it’s still not out for everyone. What’s the holdup? Well, whispers in the tech world suggest fears of misuse and dodging regulatory headaches might be playing spoilsport.

Behind the scenes, OpenAI’s been playing it safe, testing the waters with a handful of trusted partners to make sure Voice Engine isn’t just smart, but also safe. And let’s be honest, the potential is huge—from helping folks find their voice in speech therapy to breaking down language barriers. But when it comes to spilling the beans on a full launch? Crickets from OpenAI.

Voice Engine isn’t just a one-trick pony; it’s the brains behind the voices in OpenAI’s text-to-speech API and ChatGPT’s Voice Mode. But it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster since day one. The tech’s ability to churn out eerily accurate voice clones has turned heads—and raised eyebrows. OpenAI’s stance? They’re all about playing the long game, making sure society’s ready for synthetic voices before hitting the go button.

So, when’s it coming out? Your guess is as good as mine. OpenAI’s keeping cards close to their chest, a move that’s becoming the norm in an industry where safety and ethics are stealing the spotlight.