Audio & Speech

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS voice generation

   On September 23, Google announced Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Flash-Lite TTS. Flash TTS took the overall top spot (71.4) on Hume AI's voice design benchmark. For creators building games, audiobooks, podcasts, and voice agents, the speed at which they can craft a custom voice changes — they can specify characters, accents, and tones in words.

   Pricing is limited-time: Flash TTS voice output costs $9 per million tokens (through December 31, 2026). It doubles starting January 1, 2027, so budgets hinge on whether usage can be locked in before then.

2. 2

   Meta stretches glasses lineup to US$1,299.99 at Connect 2026

   At Connect 2026 on September 23, Meta added a camera-free audio model for privacy-conscious buyers and a US$1,299.99 VR device, pushing its eyewear lineup toward both ends of the market. Meta is covering the cheap and premium ends at once, and the camera-free model is aimed at buyers who object to cameras, so it appears to be answering privacy pushback rather than competing only on specs.

   The stretch toward both price extremes happens as rivals close in, so the test is whether a camera-free audio model and a US$1,299.99 headset can hold buyers at each end without one cannibalizing the other.

3. 3

   Google's Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS tops Hume AI benchmark

   Google launched Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Flash-Lite TTS on its cloud platform, with Flash TTS supporting 130 languages and Flash-Lite TTS 101. Developers can build audiobooks and other voice products with over 2,000 prepackaged voices and custom voice creation from a 30-second sample, likely lowering barriers to entry.

   Flash TTS costs more for better audio quality, so the test is whether buyers accept that trade-off. Watch whether Google adds a third customization option for modifying prepackaged voices.

4. 4

   'Wonka's the Golden Ticket' AI voice panned as lifeless

   Netflix premieres "Wonka's the Golden Ticket" on Wednesday, a reality competition based on the 1971 film, using an AI rendering of Gene Wilder's voice as narrator; the Los Angeles Times critic calls the effect 'terrible.' The negative review suggests AI voice resurrection may not work as a creative choice, at least when it replaces a beloved performer's presence with what the critic describes as a 'lifeless voice.'

   The show's appeal may hinge on its physical production—an Australian factory set with a Wonkavator and chocolate river—rather than the AI narrator, as the critic finds the stagecraft impressive but the voice buried.

5. 5

   Google drops Gemini 3.8 TTS with 2,000 voices

   Google released gemini-3.8-flash-tts and gemini-3.8-flash-lite-tts, offering over 2,000 voices and custom voice creation from a 30-second audio sample. Two new voice models give users a wider choice of voices and make it easier to create a custom voice with only a short sample, which could help developers build more natural-sounding applications.

   The cost and speed trade-offs between the standard and Flash-Lite versions will determine which one developers pick. In a demo, generating 1m 18s of audio with Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS took about 20 seconds and cost 2.74 cents.

6. 6

   ChatGPT Voice taps GPT-6 Astra, Sol, Luna for email, Slack

   ChatGPT Voice now runs on OpenAI's new GPT-6 Astra, Sol, and Luna models and can access plugins like email, calendar, and Slack for the first time, letting users send emails, manage appointments, or build a website by voice. The globally available voice feature can now handle everyday tasks directly by voice, such as spotting and canceling duplicate charges in finance apps or building a website with a checkout page, a step beyond simple conversation.

   Voice also works in ChatGPT Work on web and mobile, where users can create documents, presentations, and spreadsheets just by talking, and it is available now in the latest app version; whether this changes how people use computers may hinge on how the approach's risks are handled.