Scarlett Johansson recently made a statement claiming that OpenAI had asked her to be the voice behind ChatGPT, an AI voice system, but after she declined, the company went ahead and created a voice that sounded incredibly similar to her. This revelation has caused Johansson to hire legal counsel and send inquiries to OpenAI about how the voice, known as Sky, was created. She expressed shock, anger, and disbelief over the striking resemblance between Sky’s voice and her own voice.
In response to these allegations, OpenAI, through Sam Altman, clarified that the voice of Sky was not meant to resemble Scarlett Johansson’s voice. The company claims to have cast the voice actor behind Sky before reaching out to Johansson, portraying the situation as a misunderstanding. Altman expressed admiration for Johansson’s work and even mentioned that “Her” is his favorite film, in which Johansson plays an AI voice assistant. Following the public uproar, OpenAI has decided to pause the use of Sky’s voice in their products out of respect for Johansson.
The connection between Scarlett Johansson and the voice of Sky became more apparent when OpenAI demonstrated an updated AI model that enhanced the voice’s expressiveness. This demo raised eyebrows as it bore a remarkable similarity to Johansson’s AI assistant character in the movie “Her.” The demonstration led to widespread media coverage and even a joke on Saturday Night Live about the resemblance.
Amidst the controversy, Scarlett Johansson is seeking transparency from OpenAI regarding the exact process by which Sky’s voice was created. Johansson wants a detailed explanation of the procedures followed by the company in developing the voice that closely mirrors her own. OpenAI’s CTO and other representatives have reaffirmed that the voice of Sky was not intentionally designed to imitate Johansson’s voice.
As a result of the situation, Scarlett Johansson has taken legal action by hiring counsel to address the matter with OpenAI. Johansson’s representatives have sent multiple letters to OpenAI, outlining their concerns and requesting clarification on the voice creation process. Subsequently, OpenAI has agreed to remove Sky’s voice from their products in response to Johansson’s legal intervention.
The controversy surrounding the creation of the voice assistant “Sky” by OpenAI has brought to light the sensitive issue of likeness and consent in the digital age. As technology continues to advance, questions about the protection of one’s identity and the ethical use of AI voices become increasingly relevant. Both Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI are navigating this complex terrain as they grapple with the aftermath of the voice resemblance debacle.
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