This free ChatGPT feature flew under the radar - but it's a game changer

• ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode is now available for free users.
• With the feature, users can access a conversational voice assistant.
• Advanced voice, now known as ChatGPT voice, replaces Standard Voice Mode.

While OpenAI's new large language models (LLMs) in ChatGPT, such as GPT-5, which just launched today, typically steal the spotlight, some of the best gems are found in the less talked-about features, like Advanced Voice Mode. 

Also: GPT-5 is finally here, and you can access it for free today - no subscription needed

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

During its Summer product release Thursday, OpenAI announced that Advanced Voice Mode, the AI-powered voice assistant that mimics a human conversation, is now available to all users, including free logged-in users, for the first time ...