With a new ChatGPT voice, OpenAI has paused. This is a response to the Scarlett Johansson controversy. She asserts that the AI’s voice sounds a little like her own.
OpenAI has chosen to “pause” ChatGPT’s new speech feature. This decision comes after a debate about the selection and acquisition of the voice.
The developer wrote about its “Sky” voice on X on May 20. It claimed to have “heard questions” about this voice. They are currently addressing these issues.
The questioning started following the release of Scarlett Johansson’s statement. She talked about her conversation with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
The actress claimed to have spoken with Altman. He extended an offer to her to work on ChatGPT 4.0’s voice team. Johansson turned down the proposal. Friends and family got in touch with her shortly after, claiming that Sky had her voice.
“When I heard the demo, I was shocked, angered, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference.”
Two days before the publication, Altman sent an email to her agent requesting a reconsideration. Because of the circumstances, Johansson has engaged a legal team. She underlined how important is the clarity. This holds particular significance in the current era of “deepfakes” and “protection of our likeness.”
OpenAI provided a detailed synopsis of its voice casting and selection process. The company made sure to clarify that Johansson was not imitated.
“We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice—Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”
According to OpenAI, each actor now has a “vision for human-AI voice interactions and OpenAI.” They talked about the risks involved, as well as the technology’s limitations and possibilities.
Altman addressed the situation directly. He claimed that Sky’s resemblance to Johansson was unintentional.
Online detectives are making links to the romantic science fiction movie “Her” from 2013. In the film, Johansson plays an AI system that a guy falls in love with. The actor has previously experienced unwanted AI use.
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She filed a lawsuit against another AI business seven months prior for unauthorized use of her likeness. Johansson is a part of a broader campaign against deepfakes, which was a central theme of the SAG-AFTRA labor disputes in Hollywood last year.
A group of Hollywood stars is protesting studios against the use of AI to replicate their likeness. Their goal is to stop studios from exploiting their photos without permission in new productions.
Furthermore, during the past year, there has been an increase in AI-generated imitation schemes targeting personalities. Elon Musk, entrepreneur, and actor Tom Hunks are among the targets, along with YouTube sensation Mr. Beast.
Johansson is also upset by AI using their voice. For example, the woman behind Apple’s Siri was unaware that her voice was being used.
In 2005, Susan Bennet provided a voiceover for ScanSoft. These recordings were later acquired by Apple, who used them for Siri.
She said in an interview that she never got money or credit from Apple. At first, she thought that the frequent use of her voice would harm her prospects of landing other employment.
