Samsung's Bixby Feature Will Duplicate Your Voice for Making Calls on Your Behalf
Samsung's Bixby Feature Will Duplicate Your Voice for Making Calls on Your Behalf
The Galaxy S23 series' standout feature, Bixby Text Call, allows users to transcribe messages into speech for phone conversations. Regrettably, I didn't get to experience this perk during my review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but Samsung has announced that a Bixby update will be accessible for Galaxy users this month. They have also provided more insights into its functions.
With Bixby Text Call, included in One UI 5.1, you can text instead of talking during calls. When your device rings, a 'Type to reply' option will appear. Although the text won't be sent as a regular message, Bixby, Samsung's digital assistant akin to Google Assistant, will convert your text into an artificial voice and speak it during the call.
What sets this apart is the ability to make the AI-generated voice sound like your own. You can utilize Bixby Voice Creator to record multiple sentences, and Bixby will analyze the audio to generate an AI replica, even mimicking your tone. Samsung plans to make this voice compatible with additional Samsung apps beyond phone calls as well.
Although innovative and enticing, this feature may also be quite unsettling. There are existing services from Microsoft and Amazon that offer similar AI generation capabilities. Microsoft's version relies on VALL-E for text-to-speech and can imitate emotional tones, while Amazon's aim is to create the illusion that your loved ones are still present. The common thread among these AI features, from Samsung to Microsoft, is an eerie similarity to the uncanny valley, which leaves one wondering if those you speak to will recognize the AI-generated voice.
Presently, this feature is unavailable for my review devices, and One UI 5.1 has yet to arrive for me. Nonetheless, Bixby Text Call without voice generation will be available to English speakers on the Galaxy S23 series this month, along with other enhancements. These improvements include enhanced voice assistant continuity and increased feature parity with the Google Assistant, such as starting a workout using Samsung Health hands-free. Additionally, Bixby can execute additional key commands, like setting timers and capturing screenshots, without an internet connection – functionalities similarly offered by the Google Assistant.
To check if the Bixby update is available for you, you can verify within the settings located within the Bixby app. Go to Settings, scroll down to About Bixby, and click through to check for any pending updates. Alternatively, you can manually check for updates through Samsung's Galaxy store.
This new feature, Bixby Text Call, is set to revolutionize how we communicate on future tech devices. By utilizing Bixby Voice Creator, users can create an AI replica of their own voice, adding a personal touch to the text-to-speech conversion.
Samsung's plans to expand the compatibility of this AI-generated voice beyond phone calls indicates a promising future for voice integration in various applications.