Scarlett Johansson was 'shocked' by OpenAI 'Sky' voice
Actress Scarlett Johansson was "shocked" and "angered" upon hearing ChatGPT's "Sky" voice, which some had likened to her own. Johansson famously voiced a fictional digital assistant in the 2013 film Her. In a statement released Monday, obtained by NBC News, Johansson felt the comparisons were apt and said the Sky voice was "eerily similar" to hers.
Johansson's Reaction
When I heard the released 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," Johansson said in her statement.
Johansson claimed that OpenAI "reluctantly" agreed to pause the Sky voice, following her counsel's request for detailed information about how Sky was created. "In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity," Johansson said. "I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected."
OpenAI's Response
Responding to NBC News' request for comment, Altman stated that Sky's voice was not Johansson's, and that "it was never intended to resemble hers." "We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson," said Altman. "Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better."
Prior to Johansson's statement, Open AI made this claim in a post Sunday: "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."
Conclusion
OpenAI announced that it would stop using Sky in its ChatGPT product until it resolved lingering issues about its origins. "We've heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky," the company wrote in a post on X Sunday. OpenAI is "working to pause the use of Sky" while it addresses those questions.
Despite the controversy, Scarlett Johansson's reaction to the OpenAI 'Sky' voice has raised important discussions about AI voices and the protection of individuals' identities in the digital age.
