OpenAI recently made headlines for removing the ‘Sky’ voice from ChatGPT, which bore a striking resemblance to Scarlett Johansson’s voice. The latest version of the AI model, GPT-4o, sparked comparisons to the 2013 movie Her, where Johansson voiced an AI character named Samantha known for its emotional capabilities.
The addition of voice functionality in the GPT-4o, including voices like Cove, Breeze, Juniper, and Sky, allowed for realistic and emotionally adaptive conversations. However, the use of a voice similar to Scarlett Johansson for Sky raised concerns and drew attention to the parallels with the movie Her.
Scarlett Johansson herself expressed shock over the situation, revealing that OpenAI had previously approached her to voice the AI model but she declined. The actress, along with her peers and the community, noted the uncanny similarities between Sky’s voice and her own, leading to legal action being taken.
In response, OpenAI clarified their voice selection process, stating that professional voice actors were compensated for lending their voices to the AI models, including Sky. The organization maintained that the imitation was unintentional and belonged to another actress, whose identity was kept private to protect their privacy.
Due to the controversy, OpenAI decided to temporarily pause the Sky voice until the situation is resolved. The final decision on whether to bring back the voice remains uncertain, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
