Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson expressed her shock and displeasure at the AI research lab OpenAI for using a voice very similar to hers in their voice chat feature without her permission. She also revealed that she was offered by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, to lend her voice to their forthcoming ChatGPT 4.0 but declined for personal reasons.
The voice chat feature, introduced by the AI model ChatGPT in September 2023, offered five voice options, namely Ember, Cove, Juniper, Breeze, and Sky. However, Sky’s voice received widespread attention for its striking resemblance to Johansson’s. Johansson’s grapple with the situation began after a recent demo showcased a rather flirtatious avatar of Sky that set off a slew of memes and mockery from the public. The Sky voice was subsequently removed from the chat feature, sparking speculation and discussions on social media.
In her statement, Johansson expressed her shock and anger at the resemblance that the Sky voice had to hers after listening to the demo, prompting Altman to ask her to reconsider voicing ChatGPT 4.0. Despite the striking resemblance, OpenAI has reiterated in its defense that the voice used was not meant to mimic Johansson, but belonged to another professional actress who lent her natural speaking voice. They further declined to share any information about the voice artists in order to safeguard their privacy.
In the wake of this controversy, Johansson alleges that she had to resort to legal help. They sent two letters to OpenAI asking them to explain their process behind creating Sky’s voice. Finally, under pressure, OpenAI agreed to take down the Sky voice.
Addressing the issue of deepfakes and identity theft, Johansson emphasized the need for transparent and stringent legislation to safeguard individual rights. This would ensure that such controversies involving the protection of one’s likeness, work, and identity do not arise in the future.
OpenAI, on the other hand, continued to defend their stance. They stated that their selection process for the voices involved industry-leading casting and directing professionals who sifted through over 400 submissions. The company also expressed their intentions of launching more voices for ChatGPT to suit the diverse interests of its users.
