OpenAI has suspended its ChatGPT voice option, ‘Sky,’ after Scarlett Johansson criticized the AI for sounding too much like her character in the film “Her.”
Johansson revealed that she declined an offer from OpenAI to voice their AI system nine months ago, only to be shocked when she heard the uncanny resemblance in Sky.
The controversy erupted after OpenAI showcased Sky during a high-profile event for their new GPT-4o model.
Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024
Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx
Johansson’s statement expressed her anger and shock, noting that even her close friends couldn’t tell the difference between her voice and Sky’s.
Scarlett Johansson released a statement regarding the OpenAI situation pic.twitter.com/VuSQhkouVt
— Best of Scarlett Johansson (@BestfScarlett) May 20, 2024
OpenAI responded by removing Sky and clarifying that the voice was not an imitation but belonged to another professional actress.
Despite this, the backlash continued, with critics pointing out the voice’s flirtatious and gendered tone. This incident comes amid broader concerns over AI mimicking real voices, with artists and celebrities increasingly pushing back against unauthorized use of their likenesses.
The suspension of Sky also coincided with internal turmoil at OpenAI, with several top safety team members resigning.
Despite these challenges, OpenAI is pressing forward, emphasizing their commitment to ethical AI development and collaboration with the entertainment industry. However, the debate over AI’s impact on artists’ rights and the ethical use of voice technology is far from over.