A project of Trace Foundation, Inc.

Creative GenerationConsumer FacingVerified

Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, March 24, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.

OpenAI offers AI voice synthesis in ChatGPT and via its API, enabling spoken conversations with AI and converting written text to natural-sounding speech.

Details

The Text-to-Speech API and the Realtime API allow developers to build voice-enabled applications using OpenAI's neural speech models. ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, which enables real-time spoken conversation with the AI, rolled out to paid subscribers in September 2024 and expanded to free users with usage limits. Multiple voice options are available, and newer audio model snapshots were released in 2026.

Products affected

ChatGPT (PlusProTeamEnterpriseEdu)OpenAI API (Text-to-Speech)OpenAI Realtime API

Sources & Evidence

News Article

https://www.neowin.net/news/chatgpts-advanced-voice-mode-comes-to-free-users-with-usage-limits/

https://www.neowin.net/news/chatgpts-advanced-voice-mode-comes-to-free-users-with-usage-limits/

https://openai.com/index/introducing-the-realtime-api/

https://openai.com/index/introducing-the-realtime-api/

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/09/24/1104422/openai-released-its-advanced-voice-mode-to-more-people-heres-how-to-get-it/

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/09/24/1104422/openai-released-its-advanced-voice-mode-to-more-people-heres-how-to-get-it/

https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/11/chatgpts-advanced-voice-feature-expands.html

https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/11/chatgpts-advanced-voice-feature-expands.html

News ArticleVerified

Introducing next-generation audio models in the API

OpenAI·Mar 2025

https://openai.com/index/introducing-our-next-generation-audio-models/

OpenAI rolls out Advanced Voice Mode with more voices and a new look

TechCrunch·Sep 2024

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/24/openai-rolls-out-advanced-voice-mode-with-more-voices-and-a-new-look/

Company Disclosure

Company DisclosureVerified

https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/text-to-speech

Other practices by OpenAI

Creative GenOpenAI offered Sora, an AI video generation tool that produced short video clips from text prompts or uploaded images, to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers starting December 2024; the product was discontinued in a phased shutdown, with the app and web closing on April 26, 2026 and the API scheduled to close on September 24, 2026. OpenAI announced the discontinuation on March 24, 2026, with reporting pointing to high compute costs and a strategic shift toward coding and enterprise products. A three-year licensing deal signed in December 2025 with The Walt Disney Company, under which Disney had committed a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, lapsed when the product shut down before the partnership terms were executed.OtherOpenAI deployed ChatGPT for US government and defense use through its OpenAI for Government platform, including a $200 million Pentagon contract and deployment on the DoD's GenAI.mil platform for approximately 3 million personnel.RecommendationOpenAI deployed contextual ads in ChatGPT starting February 9, 2026, showing sponsored content to free-tier users based on the topics of their current conversation.

Have evidence about OpenAI's AI practices? Submit a report.

Report a Sighting →