Scarlett Johansson expressed her disapproval of OpenAI using a voice that closely resembled hers in their new ChatGPT product.
She revealed that OpenAI approached her nine months ago to voice the AI system, but she declined due to personal reasons. Johansson was surprised and upset to find that the voice used was remarkably similar to hers, to the point where even her friends and the media couldn’t tell the difference.
Following public criticism of the flirtatious and feminine voice known as “Sky,” OpenAI removed it from ChatGPT. The voice had been unveiled at a highly anticipated event showcasing the capabilities of the new ChatGPT-4o artificial intelligence model. Users and media compared it to Johansson’s AI character from the movie “Her.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted that the voice design intentionally imitated Johansson’s character, leading to speculation and controversy. OpenAI later clarified that “Sky” was not based on Scarlett Johansson and was voiced by another actress in her natural speaking voice.
Johansson shared that Altman had contacted her agent again before the release, but she requested her audio to be removed from the project. She had initially agreed to the role with the intention of bridging the gap between tech companies and creators, aiming to help consumers understand the relationship between humanity and AI.
During the season finale, commentators, including Johansson’s husband Colin Jost, pointed out the similarity between Skye and her character from “Her.” Questions were raised about the flattering and gendered nature of the voice, with some noting that it reflects the human bias in technology development.
OpenAI explained that they selected ChatGPT’s voices based on specific criteria like timelessness and trustworthiness. They reviewed numerous voice actor applications and recorded sessions with selected actors to train the model.
Following the resignation of key safety team members at OpenAI, there were concerns about the prioritization of product success over safety protocols. Altman and Brockman defended the company, emphasizing their commitment to addressing safety issues before releasing any product.
In a blog post, OpenAI discussed their collaboration with entertainment industry experts and the importance of compensating voice actors for their contributions. The use of AI in entertainment has led to legal disputes and concerns about the potential replacement of human workers by technology, prompting industry unions to take action.
Source: www.theguardian.com
