Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson expressed her astonishment, frustration, and disbelief upon learning that a Microsoft-backed startup, OpenAI, had introduced an AI personal assistant voice bearing a striking resemblance to hers.
Johansson’s reaction came shortly after OpenAI, founded by Sam Altman, announced the removal of the voice dubbed ‘Sky’.
Last week, OpenAI unveiled an updated version of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, capable of reading text aloud and interacting with users via voice commands, images, and videos.
Many individuals noted the similarities between the chatbot’s vocal characteristics and Johansson’s portrayal of Samantha in the 2013 film ‘Her’, directed by Spike Jonze. The film revolves around a man’s deep connection with a sophisticated piece of software, with the operating system assuming the persona of a female named Samantha. Johansson received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Samantha in the movie.
In a blog post on Monday, the artificial intelligence company OpenAI detailed the selection process for the voices featured in ChatGPT. They disclosed collaborating with esteemed casting and directing professionals to evaluate over 400 submissions before finalizing five voices.
In addition to Sky, OpenAI introduced four other voices: Breeze, Cove, Ember, and Juniper. According to reports from US media outlet NPR, Scarlett Johansson’s legal representatives have sent two letters to OpenAI inquiring about the development of the “Sky” voice.
Johansson revealed that nine months prior, Sam Altman approached her with a proposal to license her voice for the new ChatGPT voice assistant. Altman believed her voice would provide a sense of comfort to individuals wary of AI technology.
The actor mentioned that a mere 48 hours prior to the introduction of the fresh ChatGPT, Altman once more contacted Johansson’s team, imploring her to reconsider. However, before she and Altman could establish contact, the company made a public declaration about its novel offering, featuring a voice that she claims bears a striking resemblance to her own.
Afterward, OpenAI released a statement on its blog emphasizing the importance of AI voices avoiding deliberate mimicry of celebrity voices. The company clarified that Sky’s voice isn’t an attempt to imitate Scarlett Johansson, but rather belongs to a different actress using her own natural speaking style. Altman, the founder of the tech company, added that they’ve decided to temporarily halt the use of Sky’s voice.
In the meantime, OpenAI is currently dealing with a series of legal actions. As reported by the Washington Post, several authors, including George RR Martin of Game of Thrones fame, as well as news organizations like the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, have filed lawsuits against the company. These lawsuits claim that OpenAI has infringed upon copyright laws by utilizing their content to train its AI models.
