AGS NEWS – OpenAI has expressed concerns that people may start to overly rely on ChatGPT’s new voice mode for companionship, potentially leading to “dependence.” This worry was highlighted in a safety review report released by the company on Thursday.

The advanced voice mode, which began rolling out to paid users recently, features a remarkably lifelike voice that responds in real-time, handles interruptions, and even mirrors human conversational nuances like laughing or making “hmms.” It can also assess a speaker’s emotional state based on tone.

Following the announcement of this feature, comparisons were drawn to the AI assistant from the 2013 film “Her,” where the protagonist develops romantic feelings for the AI.

OpenAI is now concerned that such scenarios could become reality, noting that some users have already begun expressing “shared bonds” with the tool.

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The report warns that users forming social relationships with AI might reduce their need for human interaction, which could be beneficial for lonely individuals but might negatively impact healthy relationships.

The human-like voice of the AI could lead users to trust it more than they should, despite the AI’s potential for errors.

This situation reflects a broader risk associated with AI: as tech companies rapidly introduce AI tools, the full implications are not yet understood.

Some users have already begun forming romantic connections with AI chatbots, raising concerns among relationship experts.

OpenAI has stated its commitment to developing AI safely and will continue to study the potential for “emotional reliance” by users on its tools.

The company also noted that the way users interact with the AI could influence social norms, as the AI’s behavior—such as allowing interruptions—might be considered unusual in human interactions.