Google's Chirp 3: Voice AI Revolution is Here!
Hold on to your hats, folks, because the next big thing in AI is about to explode: voice! We've been so focused on text-based AI generating amazing text and images, but Google just dropped a bombshell that's got everyone talking (pun intended!). They're adding Chirp 3 – their super-advanced speech-to-text and HD text-to-speech models – to their Vertex AI platform next week.
Think about it: voice assistants that actually sound human, audiobooks narrated with incredible expressiveness, and customer support agents that don't sound like robots. Last week, Google quietly rolled out 8 new voices for 31 languages. The possibilities are endless!
The Race is On!
But Google's not the only player in this game. The startup Sesame, the brains behind the viral "Maya" and "Miles" AI apps with incredibly realistic voices, just launched their model for developers to build custom voice apps. It's a full-on voice AI race!
Safety First
Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Google's taking the potential for misuse seriously, with CEO Thomas Kurian mentioning they're working closely with their safety team to implement usage restrictions. It's a necessary step to ensure this powerful technology is used ethically.
Chirp 3 will be joining Google's other AI powerhouses like Gemini, Imagen, and Veo 2, making Vertex AI a one-stop shop for developers looking to build the next generation of AI applications. Whether Chirp 3 will be as hyper-realistic as Sesame's creations remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: this is a marathon, not a sprint, as DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis pointed out.
Google launched Vertex AI in 2021, way before the generative AI craze took off. Now, they're doubling down on it as they compete with the likes of Microsoft and Amazon, all vying to provide the best AI tools for developers. It will be interesting to see if Google expands Vertex AI to include models beyond its own creations.
Google has been working on "Chirp" for years, initially as a code name to compete with Amazon's Alexa.
The voice AI revolution is here, and it's going to be fascinating to watch it unfold!
Source: TechCrunch