This voice-controlled AI could one day replace your mouse and keyboard
Anthropic’s experiments to give Claude AI control over your computer take on a new tone, literally. Voice Control can potentially change the way you operate your device. The AI assistant developer has teamed up with Hume AI and its new Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) 2 to help Claude understand the emotion behind our words and respond in kind.
This is about more than just matching your atmosphere in a conversation. It loosens the connection between what you say and how Claude can control your computer. Essentially, EVI 2 turns your voice into text and sends it to Claude. Claude then controls the computer, moving the mouse, clicking buttons and even taking screenshots. Claude then uses simple language to explain the process, text that EVI converts into natural-sounding, human-like speech. It is both a conversation and a way to perform tasks on a computer without a mouse or keyboard.
Hume wants AI to feel more natural and intuitive to use. Instead of typing commands or navigating clunky menus, you can have fluid, emotionally intelligent conversations with your devices.
Imagine saying to your laptop, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Can you organize my to-do list? and having him respond in a soothing voice with just the right balance of empathy and efficiency as he actually talks you through your list and puts it together for you on screen. You can see how it works in the video below.
Voice control
“By integrating Claude with EVI, we have created something truly special. Claude’s groundbreaking natural language skills and personality complement EVI’s expression understanding and empathy, allowing EVI to ‘act’ Claude’s responses and generate fluid, context-aware conversations that feel remarkably human ,” Hume founder Alan Cowen explains in a blog post. “Claude is very well spoken.
It’s becoming increasingly common to give generative AI assistants voice interfaces, whether it’s ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode or Microsoft’s Copilot Voice. The latest AI models enable adaptive assistants that can easily respond when you interrupt and change topics – much more so than previous voice assistants from Amazon or Google. Combine that with control over your computer, and suddenly new horizons open up. Technology becomes more accessible for people with disabilities or for people who do other things with their hands at the same time, making multitasking easier.
Any kinks obviously need to be worked out. The equivalent of an AI hallucination could be disastrous if the AI also has control over your files and messaging services. Furthermore, privacy becomes even more important when the digital equivalent of keystrokes and browser history become part of the AI record. Yet this deal between Hume AI and Anthropic is still a big step for personalizing AI when it comes to computer control.