Report: Anthropic Set to Add Voice Capabilities to AI Assistant Claude | PYMNTS.com

Anthropic is reportedly set to add voice capabilities to its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, Claude.

The new “voice mode” could be released this month and will first be available on a limited basis, Bloomberg reported Tuesday (April 15), citing an unnamed source.

It will include three voices, the report said, citing the source and Bloomberg’s own review of the app’s publicly available iOS code. The report added that these plans could change.

Anthropic did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

This report came on the same day that Anthropic introduced in a press release two new capabilities for Claude: Research, which enables the AI assistant to search across the user’s internal work context as well as the web, and a Google Workspace integration that connects it with the user’s email, calendar and documents.

“This is just the beginning of updates to make Claude an even better collaborator,” the release said. “In the coming weeks, we’ll expand the range of content sources available and the ability for Claude to do research in more depth.”

OpenAI and Meta introduced AI voice features in 2024, with Meta’s upgrade including celebrity voices and OpenAI adding voice capabilities for its ChatGPT users.

These innovations promise more natural and personalized interactions, PYMNTS reported in September.

“This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about creating a real, human connection between brands and customers,” Valentin Radu, founder of Omniconvert, told PYMNTS at the time.

Generative AI could revive voice assistant technology, which has been in decline, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report, “GenAI and Voice Assistants: Adoption and Trust Across Generations.”

The report found that while voice assistants now face skepticism and declining usage across age groups, generative AI is on the rise.

“While voice assistant adoption stagnates, GenAI is experiencing rapid growth across generations,” the report said. “Consider 82% of Gen Z and 78% of zillennials are familiar with GenAI, with familiarity among boomers and seniors increasing from 23% to 41% over the past year.”

Fifty-four percent of consumers said they would prefer voice technology to typing or using a touchscreen because it is faster, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report, “How Consumers Want to Live in the Voice Economy.”