Tech firm OpenAI has pulled the new female voice from its artificial intelligence chatbot that sounds “eerily” like Scarlett Johansson after angry complaints from the actress.
Johansson, the star of movies such as Lost in Translation and Marriage Story, said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” when she heard the voice, called ‘Sky’, on the updated ChatGPT.
The actress was alerted to the similarity after social media users pointed out the “flirty” voice had the personality and tone of Johansson’s character in Her, the 2013 film about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence system. The day the new voice was released, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman had posted on X with a single word: “her”.
Johansson, 39, said Mr Altman had originally requested that she record herself for the new chatbot feature because it would “comfort” people as they learnt to use AI. After she declined, an unnamed actor was paid to create the voice of ‘Sky’ – but OpenAI has since insisted the woman was using her “natural speaking voice” and not imitating the critically acclaimed film star.
“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system,” Johansson said in a statement on Monday evening.
“He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people.”
She added: “After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named ‘Sky’ sounded like me.”
“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.”
Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
