Startup Sesame sets new standard with realistic AI voices
Startup Sesame, founded by Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe (known for the first commercially successful VR headsets), is setting a new standard with their Conversational Speech Model (CSM). Their virtual voice assistants "Maya" and "Miles" sound so realistic that test users even felt an emotional connection with them. They use natural pauses, tonal variations and even subtle smiles. Just like talking to a human and not an AI.
AI voice technology is getting better and better, and with it the threshold for talking to AI is also getting lower and lower. In fact, soon we may even find it strange if we have to wait for an employee for simple questions. Why spend minutes on hold when an AI can understand you instantly and sense exactly what you need? This kind of ease of use will soon be not only pleasant, but simply expected. Just as it now feels almost irritating if you cannot be helped directly on a website via an AI chat and have to browse the website yourself.
How can you soon use AI speech in marketing?
AI customer service: AI chats on websites or by phone that really listen, respond empathetically and adjust their tone to the user's mood. For example, reassuring if someone sounds uncertain or irritated.
Customized audio content: Personalized audio assistants that customize blogs, articles, white papers or e-books in real time to the listener's preference or mood. Users can even interact with the content.
Interactive voice ads: Ads that interact with users' emotions and reactions via speech and provide a personalized experience.
Sesame is even exploring applications where their "voice companions," as they call them, personally guide your day via light AR glasses, similar to the futuristic vision from the movie Her.
👉 Enter your own conversation with Maya or Miles here
Tip: To really experience how sophisticated this model is, try topics with strong emotions. For example, ask for reassurance if you are having a tough week, or test how the AI reacts to a sudden interruption in the middle of the conversation. Then compare it to ChatGPT's speech feature and experience the difference for yourself.
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