Highlights:
- In May, OpenAI originally introduced the ChatGPT Mac software along with the release of GPT-4o.
- It seems unlikely that all ChatGPT customers will have access to advanced speech mode by the end of the summer, considering the delay in the alpha distribution.
OpenAI announced that official ChatGPT app is available for Mac users who run macOS Sonoma or later.
However, the business is also postponing the release of a much-awaited feature, which is ChatGPT’s enhanced voice mode, which was revealed in May and is about to become live.
Previously accessible to a selected group of ChatGPT Plus premium plan subscribers, the ChatGPT Mac app is now being made widely available to all Mac users. For owners of Apple Inc.’s high-end laptops, the app functions as a desktop version of ChatGPT, enabling users to communicate with the chatbot without the need to open a browser and access the online service.
In addition to supporting more specialized GPT versions like the DALL-E image producing model, users have access to a variety of models, including GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and the most sophisticated GPT-4o models. The ChatGPT Mac app does not, however, support the official OpenAI application programming interface, which is a significant missing feature.
For Mac users, the primary benefit of having a dedicated desktop software is that they can utilize keyboard shortcuts that are system-wide (option space is the default), which enables them to access ChatGPT whenever they want. The shortcut opens a text box where the user can type a prompt in a hurry.
In May, OpenAI originally introduced the ChatGPT Mac software along with the release of GPT-4o, their most sophisticated large language model with multimodal features like the capacity to communicate with images and videos.
Concurrent with those declarations, the business showcased ChatGPT’s incredibly lifelike sophisticated speech mode, which would enable customers to have audio discussions with the chatbot. Originally scheduled to launch in a few weeks, OpenAI now states that further time is needed to ensure the functionality is ready for users.
In a Discord’s post, the company stated that it hoped to execute a limited release of the advanced alpha test voice mode by the end of this month. but it has since mentioned that the timeframe has been pushed back by one month.
It is believed that safety concerns are the cause of the delay. For example, the company is still working to improve its capacity to identify and reject specific types of content that are likely to stir controversy.
“We’re also working on improving the user experience and preparing our infrastructure to scale to millions while maintaining real-time responses. As part of our iterative deployment strategy, we’ll start the alpha with a small group of users to gather feedback and expand based on what we learn,” the company added.
It seems unlikely that all ChatGPT customers will have access to advanced speech mode by the end of the summer, considering the delay in the alpha distribution. According to OpenAI, the alpha release will assist in verifying that it satisfies its internal safety and dependability standards.
Due to the delay, users of the new ChatGPT Mac program will have to communicate with it through text input of prompts and queries, followed by output reading.
The ChatGPT Mac program is not currently accessible in the official Mac program Store, but OpenAI claims that users can download it straight from its website.
Customers should be aware that this app is not the same as the ChatGPT integration that will be available in Apple’s upcoming Apple Intelligence feature set. When it releases, ChatGPT will be included into Siri, Apple’s digital assistant, allowing it to respond to more intricate queries. Additionally, it will be integrated into the macOS, iOS, and iPadOS operating systems.