OpenAI has introduced updates to its advanced voice mode in ChatGPT on March 25, enhancing its ability to hold real-time conversations with a more natural flow and reducing interruptions during user pauses. 

Manuka Stratta, a post-training researcher at OpenAI, announced the improvements and showed a demo in a video shared on the company's official YouTube channel. The update aims to make interactions with the AI assistant more engaging and responsive.

"The model we're shipping today has better personality and will interrupt you much less. So the model has a more engaging and natural tone that's more direct and concise," said Manuka. While explaining the benefits she also said, "Because it interrupts you less you'll be able to have more time to gather your thoughts and not feel like you have to fill in all the gaps and silences all the time."

Currently, free users of ChatGPT can experience fewer interruptions of this advanced voice mode, while paying subscribers benefit from a further refined version with an improved conversational style.

The update comes as competition in the AI voice assistant market intensifies. Startups such as Sesame have gained attention of netizens with their natural-sounding AI assistants, Maya and Miles. Meanwhile, major tech companies are increasing their focus on voice AI, with Amazon preparing an upgraded version of Alexa powered by large language models.