Scarlett Johansson has issued a statement following the use of a voice which sounds suspiciously like hers for OpenAI‘s ChatGPT system.
Academy Award nominee and Marvel star Scarlett Johansson has responded to the use of a voice which sounds suspiciously like hers for OpenAI‘s ChatGPT system, saying she was “shocked” and “angered” that the company used such a voice without her permission. Following the revelation that OpenAI had used a voice much like Johansson’s, with many pointing out the similarities between the system and Spike Jonze’s 2013 movie Her, the actress released a statement saying she was asked to provide her voice, but ultimately turned the offer down.
Johansson explained that she was contacted by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman back in September 2023 about using her voice for ChatGPT 4.0., but the Black Widow and Jojo Rabbit star rejected the offer citing “personal reasons.”
“[Mr Altman] 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.”
In the statement, Johansson was “shocked” to learn that the company had gone ahead and used her voice anyway, with Altman even making reference to the movie Her at the time.
“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. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her’ — a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.”
Scarlett Johansson Calls for ‘Appropriate Legislation’ to Stop the Use of Likeness Without Permission Using AI
The statement continues, with Johansson calling for “appropriate legislation” to ensure that individuals can protect their likeness and image from unauthorized use.
“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. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”
In response to the allegations, OpenAI and Sam Altman have released their own statement, as well as suspending the Scarlett Johansson-esque voice, which is named ‘Sky.’
“The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. 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.”
Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current 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 Al. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people.
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. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her’ — a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.
Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there.
As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAl, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the ‘Sky’ voice. Consequently, OpenAl reluctantly agreed to take down the ‘Sky’ voice.
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. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.
