Scarlett Johansson finds OpenAI chatbot voice ‘uncannily similar’ to her own

Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of creating a voice for their ChatGPT system that sounded remarkably similar to her own, after she declined to voice the chatbot herself. The actress made these claims in a statement released shortly after OpenAI announced they would be taking down the voice, known as ‘Sky.’

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to Johansson’s accusations, stating that the voice of Sky was not an imitation of Johansson’s, but actually belonged to a different professional actress. Altman expressed regret for any misunderstanding, stating, “Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”

The issue of rights to actors’ voices and images has become a hot topic in Hollywood as AI technology advances, blurring the lines between human and computer-generated content. Johansson revealed that Altman had approached her last year with an offer to voice a ChatGPT system, which she declined. However, she was shocked to discover that the voice of ‘Sky’ sounded eerily similar to her own.

Johansson’s statement, shared with journalists from NPR and Reuters, expressed her disbelief at the similarities between her voice and that of ‘Sky.’ She also mentioned hiring legal counsel to inquire about the voice creation process.

OpenAI recently unveiled their latest AI model, GPT-4o, which features advanced audio capabilities for more realistic conversations with chatbots. The controversy surrounding the use of actors’ voices in AI systems highlights the ethical considerations and challenges in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.