Gemini Live's voices don't sound like they should
9to5Google • • technology
Key Points:
- Recent updates to Google’s Gemini Live AI, particularly the Gemini Live 3.1 Flash Live update, have caused noticeable changes and issues with the assistant’s customizable voice options, including shifts in cadence, tone, and accent consistency.
- The "Capella" voice option, designed to mimic a female British accent, along with other regional voices, has significantly deteriorated, producing slower speech, altered pitch, and inconsistent accents during interactions.
- Users report that speech previews no longer match the actual voice output, which often morphs into hybrid or unintended accents after resetting the application, creating a jarring experience.
- Audio artifacts such as crackles, pops, and hisses have become more common, though these issues are sporadic and not consistently reproducible across all voice options.
- Some voice options remain stable during quick voice commands or when used with Android Auto, and it is currently unclear if Google is aware of these problems; inquiries have been made to the company for clarification.
