Hume AI gives Anthropic’s Claude a voice — now live and it sounds more human-like than ChatGPT

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Hume AI, a New York-based Series B startup and AI research lab is at the forefront of developing emotionally intelligent voice interactions by integrating its Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) with Anthropic's Claude AI models.

This collaboration aims to enhance human-computer communication by enabling AI systems to comprehend and respond to the emotional nuances of human speech.

Setting a new standard for conversational, emotionally intelligent AI Hume AI's EVI 2 introduces a new voice-to-voice AI model architecture capable of rapid and fluent conversations, setting it apart from some of the best AI chatbots. It understands a user's tone of voice and can generate any desired tone, emulating a wide range of personalities, accents, and speaking styles. EVI 2 can replace or integrate large language models (LLMs), offering developers flexibility in building applications requiring emotionally intelligent voice interactions.

According to a spokesperson for Hume AI, Hume’s EVI 2 has powered more than 2 million minutes of voice AI conversations, illustrating its scalability and impact. Anthropic’s advanced prompt caching has delivered an 80% reduction in cost and a 10% decrease in latency, making it efficient and cost-effective for more than 36% of developers who prefer Claude over other external LLMs.

Chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini Live, and Meta AI have advanced voice modes, which engage users with humanlike conversations with responses tailored to their preferences. Now, EVI, Hume AI's flagship product, processes live audio input and generates responses that reflect an understanding of vocal expressions. By analyzing speech tone, rhythm, and timbre, EVI determines appropriate moments to engage and produces empathetic language with a suitable tone. This capability is achieved through Hume's empathic large language model (eLLM), guiding language and speech generation.

Integrating Anthropic's Claude models, particularly Claude 3.5 Sonnet, enhances EVI's performance. Recognized for its advanced reasoning, Claude 3.5 Sonnet can perform complex cognitive tasks such as analyzing various static images, translating between multiple languages in real time, and assisting with debugging and coding.

The collaboration between Hume AI and Anthropic represents a significant step toward creating AI systems that engage in more natural and empathetic conversations with users. Combining Hume's emotional intelligence expertise with Anthropic's advanced AI models, this partnership aims to set new standards in human-computer interaction, making technology more responsive and attuned to human emotions.