According to TechCrunch, Speechify is adding voice detection features to its Chrome extension after being primarily a text-to-speech tool. The startup launched voice typing with English support and a conversational voice assistant that lives in your browser sidebar. Company chief business officer Rohan Pavuluri argues that unlike ChatGPT and Gemini where voice is secondary, Speechify makes voice the default experience. However, early testing revealed higher word error rates than competitors like Wispr Flow and Monologue, plus compatibility issues with WordPress and browsers with built-in sidebar assistants. The company says its model improves with use and it’s gradually optimizing for popular sites while planning to expand these features across all apps.
The accuracy problem
Here’s the thing about voice tech – it’s getting better, but we’re still in that awkward phase where it’s not quite there yet. Speechify’s admission that their word error rate is higher than competitors like Monologue is telling. I mean, how many times have you tried voice dictation only to spend more time correcting mistakes than you would have spent typing? The company says it learns as you use it, which sounds promising, but that’s a pretty common claim in this space. Basically, you become the training data.
Browser wars continue
And then there’s the browser compatibility headache. Speechify’s assistant doesn’t play nice with browsers that already have sidebar assistants like OpenAI’s Atlas or Perplexity’s Coment. That’s a pretty significant limitation when you think about it. The company’s focusing on Chrome’s massive user base, which makes business sense, but it feels like we’re heading toward another era of “best viewed in Chrome” warnings. Remember those? Yeah, not great.
Betting on voice-first
Speechify’s core argument is actually pretty compelling though. Pavuluri makes a good point about ChatGPT and Gemini – voice really does feel like an afterthought in those apps. You open them, and it’s all about the text chat. But what if you’re driving, cooking, or just prefer talking? There’s definitely a market for voice-first AI interaction. The question is whether Speechify can execute well enough to own that space before the big players decide to take voice more seriously.
Where this is heading
Looking ahead, Speechify wants to develop AI agents that complete tasks for you – like making calls to schedule appointments or wait on hold. They’re not alone here – Truecaller and Cloacked are chasing similar goals. But think about the implications. If these tools actually work reliably, we could see a fundamental shift in how people interact with digital services. The Speechify extension is available now, but whether it becomes your go-to voice assistant or just another Chrome extension you install and forget remains to be seen. The voice AI race is heating up, and everyone wants a piece.
