Microsoft has enhanced its Azure AI Speech services by introducing more realistic AI-based voices over the past year and is now offering even more additions and improvements to these voices. The company has added multilingual voices to Azure AI Speech, providing a diverse range of characters to enhance user experience. These voices promise to transform interactions with chatbots through authentic and natural interactions.
The new AI voices include options for English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian languages with male and female variations. In addition to these multilingual voices, Microsoft has also introduced two US-based optimized voices specifically designed for enterprise call centers. These voices are available for public preview in various Azure regions.
Furthermore, Microsoft has introduced five new human avatars with text-to-speech capabilities for Azure AI Speech users, along with improvements to the sound quality of these avatars. The Azure OpenAI GPT-4o model is now integrated into the live chat avatar app in Speech Studio, providing users with a firsthand demonstration of how the avatar and GPT-4o collaborate. Sample code is also provided to assist with integrating the text-to-speech avatar with the GPT-4o model.
Lastly, Microsoft has unveiled a new Text Stream API aimed at speeding up text-to-speech functions. This API represents a significant advancement over traditional TTS technologies by accepting input in chunks, reducing latency and improving the fluency and responsiveness of real-time speech outputs. The Text Stream API is ideal for interactive applications, live events, and AI-powered dialogues.
Developers can access sample code for the Text Stream API on GitHub to explore its functionalities and integration capabilities. Microsoft continues to innovate and expand its Azure AI Speech services to provide customers with more advanced and realistic voice options, as well as improved text-to-speech capabilities to enhance user experiences and interactions with AI technology.
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https://www.neowin.net/amp/microsofts-azure-ai-speech-services-add-more-voices-and-more-chat-avatars/