OpenAI pauses development of voice technology linked to Scarlett Johansson

Movie star Scarlett Johansson expressed shock and disbelief on Monday after OpenAI released a synthetic voice named “Sky” that sounds eerily similar to her own voice. Johansson, who declined to work with the ChatGPT-maker on such a project, was taken aback by the striking resemblance of the synthetic voice to her own.

In a statement, Johansson revealed her feelings of shock and anger at the situation, stating that she was in disbelief that OpenAI would pursue a voice that sounded so much like her own. She mentioned that even her closest friends and news outlets couldn’t tell the difference between her real voice and the synthetic one created by OpenAI.

The controversy began when Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, offered to hire Johansson to work with the company to create a synthetic voice. Altman believed that having a voice like Johansson’s could provide comfort to people engaging with AI. However, Johansson declined the offer, leading to the creation of the “Sky” voice without her involvement.

Altman had previously cited the Johansson-voiced character in the movie “Her” as inspiration for the kind of AI interactions he envisioned. In the film, a man falls in love with an AI chatbot voiced by Johansson, highlighting the potential emotional connections that could be formed with AI.

OpenAI clarified in a blog post that the “Sky” voice was based on the natural speaking voice of a different professional actress and was not intended to mimic Scarlett Johansson’s voice deliberately. The company stated that they believe AI voices should not imitate a celebrity’s distinctive voice and that “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson.”

Despite OpenAI’s explanation, Johansson has requested a detailed account of how the “Sky” voice was created. The company is now working on a way to “pause” the use of the voice as they address the confusion surrounding its similarity to Johansson’s voice.

In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI recently disbanded a team dedicated to mitigating the long-term dangers of artificial intelligence. The company began dissolving the “superalignment” group weeks ago, with key members like co-founder Ilya Sutskever and team co-leader Jan Leike announcing their departures from the firm.

The release of the synthetic voice “Sky” and the disbanding of the risk team have raised questions about the future of AI technology and the ethical considerations surrounding the creation of humanlike AI entities. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how companies like OpenAI will navigate the complex landscape of AI development and deployment.