Actress Scarlett Johansson expresses shock and anger as she accuses OpenAI of using a voice in ChatGPT that sounds remarkably like hers without her consent. Johansson’s call for transparency in AI companies and legal protection of individual rights resonates in the wake of this scandal.
Scarlett Johansson has expressed shock and anger over the use of a voice in OpenAI’s ChatGPT project, which she claims mimics her own without consent. The 39-year-old actress revealed through her publicist that OpenAI had approached her in September to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 system, but she declined the offer for personal reasons.
Despite her refusal, Johansson discovered that a voice option in ChatGPT named “Sky” sounded strikingly similar to hers. Johansson stated that friends, family, and news outlets noticed the resemblance, and she accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of intentionally creating the likeness. Altman had allegedly contacted her days prior to the voice’s release, asking her to reconsider, but it was too late to prevent the rollout.
OpenAI, facing legal pressure from Johansson’s legal counsel, agreed to pause the use of the “Sky” voice. In a statement, OpenAI maintained that the voice was not intended to imitate Johansson and belongs to a different actress. The company refrained from disclosing the identity of the voice actor, citing privacy concerns.
Johansson hopes her disclosure will prompt AI companies to provide more transparency and for the government to establish laws to protect individual rights.
