OpenAI’s newest voice assistant “It is wonderful” Scarlett Johansson did not appear in the demonstration this month.
The Hollywood actress expressed shock, anger, and disbelief at the resemblance between the voice in the latest version of ChatGPT and her own voice. In the 2013 film “Her,” Johansson notably voiced a future version of Siri, making the similarities even more striking. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seemed to acknowledge this influence, posting a single word on release day: “Her.”
Johansson revealed that Altman had approached her last year to be a spokesperson for ChatGPT, but she declined for personal reasons. OpenAI confirmed this and later offered her a voice role after five other people had already been selected. OpenAI announced on May 13th that they will incorporate more voices in the future.
OpenAI emphasizes that AI voices should not imitate celebrities’ distinctive voices intentionally. The voice used in their new GPT-4o model, Sky, is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but a professional actress using her own natural voice.
The controversy reflects the tensions between AI and the creative industries, prompting discussions about the regulation of AI technology and its impact on society.
One of Johansson’s most notable roles was as the voice of a future version of Siri in the 2013 film Her, which also starred Joaquin Phoenix. Photo: Warner Bros./Sports Photo/All Star
Christian Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women, and other activists have expressed concerns about the impact of AI on autonomy and trust.
OpenAI’s response to the situation includes plans to develop tools like the “Media Manager” to allow creators to regulate the use of their work in training AI models.
The entertainment industry, represented by US actors’ union SAG AFTRA, sees this as an opportunity to establish federal intellectual property rights for individuals’ images, voices, and likenesses.
Legal experts believe Johansson may have grounds for a lawsuit under state right of publicity laws, similar to cases in the past where individuals’ voices were protected against unauthorized use.
As generative AI technology advances, legal battles between creators, tech companies, and individuals are expected to increase.
Source: www.theguardian.com
