OpenAI Pauses ChatGPT Voice Amid Comparisons to Scarlett Johansson: Is That ‘Her’?

OpenAI, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company, has announced that it will be halting the use of one of its ChatGPT voices after users pointed out similarities to actress Scarlett Johansson. The voice in question, named Sky, was one of five options available for users to interact with the AI chatbot.

In a statement on social media, OpenAI addressed the concerns raised by users and stated that they are “working to pause” the use of the Sky voice. The company emphasized that the voice was not intentionally designed to mimic Scarlett Johansson’s distinctive voice, but rather belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.

OpenAI also debunked internet theories about Johansson’s involvement in the creation of the voice, clarifying that the company cannot disclose the names of its voice actors for privacy reasons. Despite this clarification, OpenAI did not provide further details on why they decided to pause the use of the Sky voice.

The decision comes as OpenAI continues to enhance its ChatGPT capabilities, with the latest update introducing a new model, GPT-4o, that can mimic human cadences in verbal responses and detect people’s moods. The company demonstrated the new model’s capabilities during a recent announcement, showcasing its ability to add emotion and drama to its voice, as well as analyze facial expressions in selfie videos.

While the new features have sparked comparisons to the film “Her,” which explores the relationship between a man and an AI-operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson, they have also raised concerns about the gendered ways in which voice assistants are developed and interact with users. Critics have pointed out the long-standing issue of default female-voiced assistants being programmed with subservient traits, perpetuating gender stereotypes in technology.

As OpenAI prepares to roll out the new GPT-4o model to select users, the company faces scrutiny over the implications of its advanced AI capabilities and the ethical considerations surrounding the development of AI voice assistants.