ChatGPT Speech to Text: How to Convert Audio to Text with OpenAI’s Whisper API

chatgpt

ChatGPT Speech to Text

ChatGPT Speech to Text. Transcribing audio files can be a tedious and time-consuming task. However, with the advancement of AI technology, transcribing audio has become more efficient and accurate. One such technology is ChatGPT Speech to Text, which is powered by OpenAI’s Whisper API.

In this article, we will explore how to use ChatGPT Speech to Text to convert audio files into written text. We will also discuss the Whisper API’s features, supported languages, and tips for optimal performance.

What is ChatGPT Speech to Text?

ChatGPT Speech to Text is a feature of OpenAI’s Whisper API, which is a large-scale unsupervised language model. Whisper API offers two endpoints within the speech to text API: transcriptions and translations.

These endpoints enable users to transcribe audio from its original language and translate and transcribe the audio into English. Currently, the Whisper API supports the following file types: mp3, mp4, mpeg, mpga, m4a, wav, and webm. However, file uploads are presently restricted to 25 MB.

How ChatGPT Speech to Text Works

ChatGPT’s speech to text feature uses state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms to convert speech into text. The model has been trained on vast amounts of speech data, and it is capable of recognizing different accents, dialects, and languages.

When a user speaks into the computer, the speech is first recorded as an audio file, which is then passed through the speech recognition algorithm. The algorithm processes the speech, and generates a corresponding text output.

How to Use ChatGPT Speech to Text

To use the ChatGPT transcriptions API, you need to provide the audio file you wish to transcribe and specify the desired output file format for the transcription. You also need to use OpenAI Python v0.27.0 for the code to work.

Here’s an example of how to use ChatGPT transcriptions API:

import openai
audio_file = open("/path/to/file/audio.mp3", "rb")
transcript = openai.Audio.transcribe("whisper-1", audio_file)

By default, you will get a response in JSON format. If you wish to specify the output format as text, you can add the following line:

--form file=@openai.mp3 \
--form model=whisper-1 \
--form response_format=text

Translations API

The translations API accepts the audio file in any of the supported languages and transcribes the audio into English. It’s important to note that this differs from the Transcriptions endpoint, where the output is in the original input language and not translated to English text.

Here’s an example of how to translate audio using ChatGPT:

import openai
audio_file= open("/path/to/file/german.mp3", "rb")
transcript = openai.Audio.translate("whisper-1", audio_file)

Supported Languages

ChatGPT Speech to Text APIs currently support the following languages through both the transcriptions and translations endpoint:

Afrikaans, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Maori, Nepali, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Welsh.

Although the underlying model was trained on 98 different languages. Above are only displayed the languages that have a word error rate (WER) of less than 50%. This is an industry-standard benchmark for measuring speech-to-text model accuracy.

The accuracy may be significantly reduced because the model can still provide results for languages that are not listed.

Longer Inputs

The Whisper API has a default limit for audio files of 25 MB. If your audio file exceeds this limit, you’ll need to divide it into 25 MB chunks or less or utilize a compressed audio format.

It’s worth noting that for optimal performance, it’s advisable to avoid breaking up the audio mid-sentence, as this could lead to some loss of context.

Prompting

By utilizing a prompt, you can enhance the quality of the transcripts produced by the Whisper API. The model endeavors to match the style of the prompt, meaning that if the prompt utilizes capitalization and punctuation, the model is more likely to do the same.

Prompts can prove to be incredibly beneficial for rectifying particular words or acronyms that the model frequently misidentifies in the audio.

Nevertheless, it’s essential to note that our current prompting system has more limitations than other language models and it only provides limited control over the generated audio.

Benefits of ChatGPT Speech to Text

The benefits of ChatGPT’s speech to text feature are numerous. Firstly, it allows users to communicate more efficiently, as they can dictate their thoughts and ideas in real-time, without the need for typing. This is particularly useful for people with disabilities, who may have difficulty typing.

Secondly, it reduces the risk of errors in communication, as the text output is generated automatically, without the need for manual transcription. Finally, it saves time, as users can generate text much faster by speaking than by typing.

Applications of ChatGPT Speech to Text

The applications of ChatGPT’s speech to text feature are vast. It can be used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, education, finance, and more. In healthcare, speech to text can be used to record patient notes, which can then be automatically transcribed and added to the patient’s electronic health record.

In education, it can be used to transcribe lectures and discussions, making it easier for students to review the material. In finance, it can be used to transcribe financial reports and earnings calls, making it easier for analysts to analyze the data.

Limitations

ChatGPT Speech to Text API is not perfect and still has limitations. One of the primary limitations is that it struggles with highly accented speech, background noise, or low-quality audio. In such cases, the accuracy of the transcription may not be optimal. Additionally, the model may also struggle with distinguishing homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings.

Another limitation of the API is that it may not be able to transcribe every word correctly, especially if the audio is complex, contains jargon or technical terms, or has multiple speakers. However, with the use of prompts, users can improve the accuracy of the transcription.

Future Developments

The future of ChatGPT’s speech to text feature is bright. As the technology improves, we can expect to see even greater accuracy and functionality. One area of development is in the area of natural language understanding.

ChatGPT is already capable of generating human-like responses to queries, and as the technology improves, we may see it become even more sophisticated. Another area of development is in the area of multimodal communication, where speech, text, and other forms of communication are seamlessly integrated.

Pricing

As of now, ChatGPT Speech to Text API pricing has not been released to the public. However, OpenAI has indicated that it plans to charge for usage in the future.

Conclusion

ChatGPT Speech to Text is a powerful tool that enables users to transcribe and translate audio files quickly and accurately. With the ability to support over 50 languages, users can easily transcribe and translate audio files from various countries and regions.

By utilizing prompts, users can enhance the quality of the transcription and rectify errors in the audio. Although the API has its limitations, it is a significant advancement in speech-to-text technology and will undoubtedly continue to improve with time.

FAQs

What file types are supported by ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

Currently, ChatGPT Speech to Text API supports the following file types: mp3, mp4, mpeg, mpga, m4a, wav, and webm.

What is the maximum file size supported by the ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

The current maximum file size supported by the API is 25 MB. If your audio file exceeds this limit, you will need to divide it into smaller chunks or utilize a compressed audio format.

What languages are supported by the ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

The API supports over 60 languages through both the transcriptions and translations endpoint. Some of the supported languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese. For a complete list of supported languages, please refer to the documentation.

Can I translate audio files using the ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

Yes, the API provides a translations endpoint that can translate audio files from any supported language into English.

How accurate is the transcription provided by the ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

The accuracy of the transcription depends on various factors, such as the quality of the audio file, the language being transcribed, and the length of the audio file. However, ChatGPT is known for its high accuracy in natural language processing tasks, and the Speech to Text API utilizes the same state-of-the-art language model.

How can I improve the accuracy of the transcription?

You can improve the accuracy of the transcription by providing a clear and high-quality audio file, utilizing prompts to guide the model’s output, and selecting the appropriate language model for the audio input. Additionally, you can consider breaking up longer audio files into smaller chunks to avoid loss of context.

How can I get started with the ChatGPT Speech to Text API?

To get started, you will need to sign up for an API key on the OpenAI website. Once you have your API key, you can access the API using the OpenAI Python client or make HTTP requests directly to the API endpoint. You can find detailed documentation and code examples on the OpenAI website.

Leave a Comment