Reported by Gold 101.3 FM – UAE’s No.1 Malayalam Radio Station
Artificial intelligence conversations may soon become much more natural, thanks to a new breakthrough unveiled by Thinking Machines Lab, the startup founded by former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati.
The company has introduced a new research project focused on improving the way people interact with AI systems. Called “interaction models,” the technology allows AI to process speech and generate responses at the same time — similar to how humans communicate during real conversations.
This approach, known as “full duplex” interaction, enables the AI to effectively “listen” and “speak” simultaneously, reducing the awkward pauses commonly experienced with today’s AI assistants.
According to Thinking Machines Lab, its latest model, named TML-Interaction-Small, can respond in just 0.40 seconds. The company says this speed is close to natural human response timing and faster than many existing voice AI systems from major competitors, including Google and OpenAI.
Most current AI assistants operate using a turn-based system. A user speaks, the AI processes the request, and then delivers a response. Although the delay is usually brief, it often makes conversations feel less natural and more robotic.
Thinking Machines Lab believes future AI systems should be built with real-time interaction as a core feature rather than adding it later as an upgrade.
The company confirmed that the technology is still in the research stage and is not yet publicly available. A limited preview for researchers is expected in the coming months, with a broader rollout planned later this year.
Experts say the true impact of the technology will become clear only after users begin testing it in everyday situations. However, the announcement highlights how the global AI race is increasingly shifting from simply making smarter systems to creating assistants that communicate in a more human-like way.
