Scarlett Johansson Accuses OpenAI of Using Her Voice for AI Assistant

OpenAI's recent demonstration of its updated ChatGPT-4o model has sparked controversy, as actress Scarlett Johansson claims the AI voice assistant "Sky" bears an uncanny resemblance to her own. This allegation follows the model's launch, which featured a voice reminiscent of Johansson's role as an AI in the 2013 sci-fi film "Her."

Johansson's concerns were amplified by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's cryptic tweet, "Her," following the announcement. The company has since removed the "Sky" voice, asserting it was developed from another actress, whose identity remains confidential for privacy reasons.

In a statement released via NPR, Johansson expressed her shock and frustration, noting that even her close associates could not distinguish the AI voice from her own. She revealed that Altman had initially approached her nine months ago to voice the new ChatGPT assistant, an offer she declined. Altman reached out again two days before the demo, but OpenAI proceeded without an agreement.

Johansson has sought legal counsel and sent letters to OpenAI demanding transparency about the "Sky" voice's development process. She emphasized the broader implications for deepfakes and the protection of individual likeness in the AI era.

OpenAI has responded by removing the "Sky" voice and reiterating that it was not intended to mimic Johansson. The incident underscores ongoing debates about AI ethics and the protection of personal identity.

Johansson's Full Statement:

“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 AI. 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 OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the ‘Sky’ voice. Consequently, OpenAI 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.”