Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of designing a voice for its ChatGPT system that she claims sounds “eerily similar” to her own voice. The actress made these allegations in a statement released shortly after OpenAI announced it was discontinuing the voice, named ‘Sky.’
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman clarified that Sky’s voice was not meant to imitate Johansson’s, stating, “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers.” Altman explained that the voice belonged to a different professional actress and expressed regret for any misunderstanding, stating, “Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products.”
Johansson revealed that Altman had approached her last September with an offer to voice a ChatGPT system, an offer she declined. She expressed shock and anger upon hearing the released demo, emphasizing that the similarity to her voice was uncanny. Furthermore, Johansson noted that Altman’s tweet referencing the movie “Her,” in which she voiced an AI assistant, implied an intentional similarity.
The actress’s statement, published by NPR and other news outlets, emphasized her disbelief and prompted her to seek legal counsel regarding the voice creation process.
The incident highlights the growing concern in Hollywood over the use of AI to replicate actors’ voices and images, especially as technology advances to produce more realistic results. OpenAI’s recent unveiling of GPT-4o, featuring enhanced audio capabilities for more lifelike conversations, further underscores the need to address the ethical and legal implications of such developments.
