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OpenAI halts use of AI-generated voice resembling actor Scarlett Johansson’s amid legal threats

Published 22/05/2024, 02:32 pm
© Reuters.  OpenAI halts use of AI-generated voice resembling actor Scarlett Johansson’s amid legal threats

The use of simulated human voices and its ramifications for news and information looks to be coming to a head with Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson lawyering up after OpenAI used a voice option for its ChatGPT system that the actress said was "eerily similar" to her own.

Voice to ‘bridge the gap’

The company has announced it will "pause the use of Sky" as a voice option for its ChatGPT system after Johansson raised the concerns and threatened legal action.

Johansson said that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman approached her last year with an offer to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system.

Altman said he believed her voice could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives, making consumers more comfortable with the evolving AI landscape.

Johansson starred as the voice of an AI chatbot in the 2013 film, Her, which might have piqued Altman’s interest in enrolling her as his own chatbot.

Fast forward to 2024 and it seems the company might have used her voice anyway. Johansson and those close to her claim that the new AI system voice, Sky, sounds remarkably similar to hers.

Altman further fuelled the speculation by tweeting the word "her," in reference to Johansson’s fictional chatbot.

Johansson revealed that just two days before the demo's release, Altman contacted her agent, asking her to reconsider the offer. Before they could connect, the demo was released, prompting Johansson’s lawyers to write to Altman and OpenAI demanding an explanation of how the Sky voice was created.

According to Johansson’s camp, OpenAI initially resisted taking down the voice but eventually agreed.

Need for protection

The actress has emphasised the need for clarity and protection of individual rights in an era of deepfakes and AI-generated likenesses.

Altman continues to maintain that Johansson was not the inspiration for the AI voice.

In a statement to Gizmodo, he said the voice of Sky was not intended to resemble Johansson's and that the voice actor was cast before any outreach to her. He apologised for the lack of communication and confirmed that OpenAI paused the use of Sky's voice out of respect for Johansson.

OpenAI's voice capabilities for ChatGPT, launched in September, initially allowed only paid subscribers to use the feature, which included five different voices.

In November, the feature became free for all users with the mobile app. The latest update to OpenAI's generative AI model, GPT-4o, enhances the AI's verbal responses, including the ability to detect users' moods.

This development has drawn comparisons to the film Her, with Altman referencing the film on social media during the unveiling of GPT-4o.

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