Why Does ChatGPT Sound Like Scarlett Johansson?

OpenAI’s latest release of the GPT-4o model has caused quite a stir in the tech world, as it features a voice that sounds remarkably similar to actress Scarlett Johansson. The actress, who was approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to voice the ChatGPT update last September, turned down the offer for “personal reasons.” However, she was shocked to hear the new voice, named Sky, which she claims is “eerily similar” to her own.

Johansson, known for voicing an AI in the 2013 movie “Her,” expressed her disbelief and anger at the situation, especially after Altman tweeted “her” on the day of the release, implying that the choice to use a similar voice was intentional. Following the release of GPT-4o, Johansson hired legal counsel and demanded transparency from OpenAI on how they created the Sky AI voice.

In response to Johansson’s concerns, OpenAI reluctantly took down the voice and paused its rollout. The company released a blog post denying that Sky’s voice was an imitation of Johansson’s, stating that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice.

This controversy comes at a time when OpenAI is already under scrutiny for the safety of its AI models and the recent resignations of key researchers, including Jan Leike. Despite these challenges, OpenAI remains a powerhouse in the tech industry, currently valued at $80 billion.