Actor Scarlett Johansson has leveled accusations against OpenAI, alleging the unauthorized replication of her voice for one of the voice assistants in ChatGPT, despite her explicit denial of permission.
“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system,”
Johansson’s statement, released on Monday, followed OpenAI’s announcement that they would discontinue using the voice in ChatGPT, without providing a clear explanation for the decision.
In her statement, Johansson recounted being approached by Sam Altman last September with an offer to voice the then ChatGPT 4.0 system.
“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 said.
Altman purportedly pitched the idea as a means to bridge the gap between technology companies and creatives, aiming to ease consumer acceptance of the evolving landscape of human-AI interactions.
Johansson disclosed that she declined the offer after much contemplation for personal reasons. However, upon the unveiling of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest language model, Johansson noted striking resemblances between the system named “Sky” and her own voice, as echoed by her acquaintances and the general public.
Expressing shock and dismay, Johansson revealed that Altman had reached out to her agent merely two days before the release of GPT-4o, urging her to reconsider, yet proceeded with the launch before receiving her response.
OpenAI swiftly responded, attributing a statement to Altman, denying any intentional imitation of Johansson’s voice. They asserted that the voice actor behind “Sky” was cast before any outreach to Johansson, and out of respect, they have halted the use of Sky’s voice in their products.
Despite “Sky” being part of ChatGPT since September 2023, GPT-4o, announced last week, was hailed for its advancement in human-computer interaction, leading to comparisons with “Samantha,” Johansson’s character in the movie “Her,” who shares an intimate relationship with a human.
On Monday, OpenAI announced the suspension of “Sky” in ChatGPT and detailed their employment of professional voice actors for virtual assistants, rejecting any likeness to Johansson’s voice. They emphasized compensating their performers above market rates.
Johansson revealed hiring legal counsel, prompting two letters to Altman and OpenAI seeking clarification. She called for transparency and legislative measures to safeguard individual rights amidst concerns surrounding deepfakes and identity protection.
