Last week, OpenAI demonstrated its updated ChatGPT-4o model, which can talk, laugh and react like a human. However, many users immediately noticed that the model reminded them of the well-known actress Scarlett Johansson.
The actor released a statement yesterday expressing shock and anger at the likelihood of his voice being similar. Earlier Johansson received an offer from OpenAI to tune the AI assistant, which she declined.
The ChatGPT demo featured an AI voice that was quickly compared to Johansson’s role in the 2013 sci-fi film Her, where she voiced an AI assistant. Adding fuel to the fire, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted the word “Her” after announcing the new version of ChatGPT.
OpenAI has since removed the voice of “Sky” from the model, announcing that it had added a voice to the AI from another actress, whose identity remains undisclosed for privacy reasons. The company claims that the voice is not an imitation of Johansson, but belongs to another professional who uses his natural speaking voice.
In a statement, Johansson expressed her shock and anger upon hearing the demo, claiming that even her close friends and news outlets couldn’t distinguish the AI’s voice from her own. Nine months ago, Altman reportedly offered her the role of tuning the new ChatGPT voice assistant, but she declined for personal reasons. Just two days before the release of the new version, Altman reached out again.
Now, Johansson has consulted a lawyer and sent two letters to OpenAI demanding transparency about the Sky voice development process. It appears that OpenAI Sky’s takedown may have been related to these letters.
Source: Android Authority
