AI Voice Tools Bring ‘Human’ Touch to eCommerce, With Meta and OpenAI Leading the Way | PYMNTS.com

OpenAI and Meta have introduced new artificial intelligence (AI) voice features that could reshape how consumers interact with brands. 

Meta’s upgrade includes celebrity voices like Judi Dench and John Cena, while OpenAI has rolled out enhanced voice capabilities for its ChatGPT users. Experts say these innovations promise more natural and personalized interactions, a shift in the eCommerce space.

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

Nearly half of U.S. consumers expect voice assistants to match human intelligence and reliability within five years, with many indicating they’d be willing to pay for such services, according to a recent PYMNTS survey of 2,939 people.

Celebrity Voices and Visual Integration

Meta’s AI assistants will now use celebrity voices, a move expected to increase user engagement by making interactions more relatable and fun. However, the bigger update involves the ability to process visual information, such as user-uploaded photos. This feature opens new doors for social commerce, allowing users to upload a picture of a product and receive instant, AI-driven recommendations or purchase options. 

Radu sees this shift as a natural next step. “AI voice features provide a seamless, personal experience,” Radu said, noting that the technology creates a more intuitive shopping experience by offering immediate, tailored responses, reducing friction for the consumer. Imagine a shopper taking a photo of a dress, uploading it to Instagram, and receiving voice-guided purchase suggestions in real time.

Introducing celebrity voices isn’t just for entertainment — it adds a human touch to the interaction, making digital assistants feel more personable. The shift could lead to higher conversion rates and more meaningful brand-customer relationships.

OpenAI’s Commerce Impact

OpenAI has also advanced its voice capabilities, making conversations with the ChatGPT bot more fluid. This update aims to provide smoother, more natural communication, particularly useful in customer service and eCommerce environments where timely, accurate responses are essential. Premium ChatGPT users will be the first to try it, with access expanding to enterprise customers soon.

Simona Vasytė-Kudakauskė, CEO of Perfection42, sees these developments as a game-changer for customer service in eCommerce. “Voice-based AI can handle interactions from problem identification to refund processing,” she told PYMNTS. 

Voice AI could also help companies reengage with shoppers. Instead of sending abandoned-cart emails, voice assistants could call customers directly, offering a more personal nudge to complete their purchases.

Meta and OpenAI’s introduction of AI voice tools has set the stage for a new race in the eCommerce world. Both companies are positioning themselves as leaders in this space, where personalized voice experiences could become the norm. 

Integrating voice into social media platforms could give Meta an edge, particularly for platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where users already engage in shopping-related activities. 

“Platforms that seamlessly connect voice features with user behavior will have the upper hand,” Radu predicted. He envisions AI voice becoming the preferred method for users to interact with brands and purchase directly from their social media feeds.

OpenAI, on the other hand, is likely to dominate customer service, observers say. Its voice-enabled ChatGPT can handle customer inquiries, offer personalized product recommendations, and even process orders. Vasytė-Kudakauskė believes companies will gravitate toward the platform that best integrates AI voice into their customer service pipeline, creating smoother, faster interactions.

AI voice features are changing the eCommerce landscape, from social media shopping to streamlined customer service. Meta and OpenAI are betting on these tools as the next step in digital commerce. 

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