Discover the Power of Custom AI Voices with Hume’s Voice Control Feature

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Hume AI, a trailblazing startup dedicated to creating emotionally intelligent voice interfaces, has recently introduced an exciting new feature known as Voice Control. This innovative tool allows both developers and users to manipulate vocal characteristics to craft custom AI voices effortlessly. Best of all, there’s no requirement for coding skills, sound design knowledge, or AI prompt engineering—just creativity!

This latest development builds on the success of the company’s previous offering, the Empathic Voice Interface 2 (EVI 2). EVI 2 significantly enhanced the naturalness, emotional responsiveness, and customization capabilities of AI voices, setting a new standard in the industry.

Both EVI 2 and the newly launched Voice Control ensure ethical practices, consciously avoiding the controversial aspects of voice cloning, as pointed out by co-founder Alan Cowen. Rather than duplicating existing voices, Hume provides tools aimed at generating unique, expressive voices perfect for various applications, including:

• Customer service chatbots
• Digital assistants
• Tutoring systems
• Guides
• Accessibility features

Create Unique Solutions with Custom AI Voices

With Voice Control, developers gain the ability to tailor voices using 10 different dimensions. These dimensions include:

• Masculine/Feminine: Altering vocal tones from masculine to feminine.
• Assertiveness: Modifying the voice’s firmness, ranging from timid to bold.
• Buoyancy: Adjusting voice density from flat to buoyant.
• Confidence: Changing the voice’s assurance from shy to confident.
• Enthusiasm: Modifying the excitement from calm to spirited.
• Nasality: Tuning the openness of the voice from clear to nasal.
• Relaxedness: Balancing vocal stress between tense and relaxed.
• Smoothness: Adjusting the voice’s texture from smooth to staccato.
• Tepidity: Changing the liveliness from tepid to vibrant.
• Tightness: Modifying the breathiness from tight to airy.

This intuitive, no-code tool allows users to adjust these voice attributes in real time using virtual sliders. Currently, it can be accessed in Hume’s virtual playground, where registration is free!

The inception of Voice Control addresses a critical challenge within the AI industry: the reliance on preset voices. Frequently, these voices fail to match specific brand identities or application needs, making custom solutions increasingly essential. This personalized approach aligns closely with Hume’s overarching mission to advance custom AI voices that are emotionally aware and adaptable.

The advancements brought to light in September 2024 with the launch of EVI 2 showcased a significant upgrade, resulting in a 40% improvement in latency, a 30% reduction in operational costs, and broadened voice modulation features. Hume provides a safer, more ethical alternative to voice cloning technology.

User-Friendly Slider Interface for Voice Creation

At the core of Hume’s product development is its research-driven approach. Founded by former Google DeepMind innovator Alan Cowen, the company utilizes a proprietary model built on culturally diverse voice recordings combined with emotional survey data. This method, deeply rooted in the science of emotions, informs both the EVI 2 and the newly released Voice Control feature.

Voice Control adopts these principles by addressing the subtle qualities through which humans perceive voices. Its slider-based interface effectively captures common auditory traits like buoyancy and assertiveness, allowing users to intuitively create voices without oversimplifying through text prompts.

Enhanced Developer Tools for Real-Time Voice Adaptation

Currently available in beta, Voice Control integrates seamlessly with Hume’s Empathic Voice Interface (EVI). This integration allows developers to pick a base voice, fine-tune its characteristics, and get instant feedback. The design facilitates consistency and stability across sessions, proving vital for applications that require immediate responsiveness, such as customer service and virtual assistant technologies.

Features from EVI 2 inform Voice Control’s capabilities. The earlier model introduced functionalities like in-conversation prompts and multilingual support, expanding the scope of voice AI applications significantly. For instance, EVI 2 allows for sub-second response times, encouraging natural, fluid conversations. It also supports dynamic speaking style adjustments during interactions, providing businesses with the versatility they need.

Hume’s Competitive Edge in the Voice AI Market

Hume’s unwavering focus on voice customization and emotional intelligence allows it to stand out in the crowded voice AI marketplace. This competitive advantage persists even against well-funded challengers like OpenAI, with its Advanced Voice Mode, and ElevenLabs, which both feature extensive libraries of preset voices.

The company remains committed to innovating within the voice AI domain, with plans to enhance Voice Control by introducing additional modifiable dimensions, refining voice quality under extreme parameters, and expanding the selection of base voices available.

With the introduction of Voice Control, Hume reinforces its role as a leader in voice AI innovation. The customizable tools prioritize emotional intelligence and real-time adaptability, empowering developers to craft custom AI voices that connect deeply with their users. 🌟