- URL now uses ?model=gpt-realtime-whisper (was invalid gpt-4o-mini-realtime-preview)
- Cleaned session.update (removed modalities that may not apply)
- Expanded _handle to catch input_audio_transcription.delta and .completed events
- on_error now forwards transcription errors to frontend client
- Per AUDIT + PLAN item 1
Replaces REST-based transcription (gpt-4o-transcribe) with WebSocket
streaming via gpt-realtime-whisper. Frontend captures PCM16 audio and
streams it through the backend to a Realtime transcription session.
- Server-side VAD detects utterance boundaries automatically
- Word-level transcript deltas stream to the client in real-time
- On utterance end, gpt-5.4-nano generates a response
- TTS streams back via with_streaming_response
- Total pipeline: PCM16 → Realtime WS → LLM → streaming TTS
The openai library's beta.realtime.connect() hardcodes the obsolete
'OpenAI-Beta: realtime=v1' header which the GA API rejects. Connecting
directly via the websockets library with only the Authorization header
resolves the 'beta_api_shape_disabled' error.
Hybrid approach gives streaming STT at ~/usr/bin/bash.017/min + cheap brain
at ~/usr/bin/bash.001/min + TTS at ~/usr/bin/bash.015/min = ~/usr/bin/bash.033/min total.
- gpt-realtime-whisper handles streaming transcription with VAD
- gpt-5.4-nano handles response generation (chat completions)
- OpenAI TTS (nova) for voice output
- Server VAD detects utterance boundaries
- Honcho memory context injected into system prompt
- Removed old full Realtime relay service
The old OpenAI-Beta: realtime=v1 header is rejected by the GA API.
Removing it via extra_headers override. Using gpt-realtime-2 which
is the current production Realtime model.
Replaced the 3-step sequential pipeline (Whisper STT → DeepSeek LLM
→ OpenAI TTS) with a single OpenAI Realtime API WebSocket using
gpt-4o-mini-realtime-preview.
- ~300-800ms latency vs 1-3s
- Server VAD for automatic turn detection
- Streaming audio chunks during playback
- Interruptions: user can speak over Kira mid-response
- Honcho memory still injected into session instructions
- Frontend captures PCM16 mono 24kHz via AudioContext
- Backend relays client ↔ OpenAI Realtime API
- Supports both voice (PCM16) and text input
- WelcomeScreen: first-time name entry with cute onboarding
- identify WS message: sets user_id, loads saved prefs from Honcho
- set_preference WS message: saves scene/outfit/accessory to Honcho metadata
- Preferences auto-load on return visits via localStorage + Honcho peer meta
- Kira uses the user's name in greeting and prompts
- Backend: get/set preference methods in KiraMemory service
- Frontend: optimistic preference updates, synced to backend on change