Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has expressed shock and anger following the launch of a new chatbot by OpenAI, which features a voice she claims is "eerily similar" to her own.
The actress revealed that she had previously declined an offer from the tech company to voice the chatbot, named "Sky," which reads text aloud to users.
After the model's debut last week, many commentators noted striking similarities between Sky's voice and Johansson's performance in the 2013 film Her, where she voiced an AI operating system.
Johansson's Reaction
In a statement, Johansson accused OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of deliberately mimicking her voice.
"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," Johansson stated.
She further noted that Altman seemed to acknowledge the resemblance by tweeting the single word "Her," referencing the film in which Johansson's AI character forms an emotional bond with a human.
OpenAI's Response
OpenAI has denied Johansson’s allegations, stating that the Sky voice was created by partnering with professional voice actors and was never intended to imitate the actress.
"The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson's, and it was never intended to resemble hers," Altman explained in a statement. "We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for her, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”
Broader Implications
This incident highlights ongoing concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and intellectual property. Johansson emphasized the importance of clear boundaries in AI development, particularly when it comes to deepfakes and the protection of personal identities.
Industry experts have also weighed in on the matter. Dan Stein, head of AI voice licensing company Voice-Swap, said:
"Whether OpenAI trained their new Sky voice using audio from Scarlett Johansson or a sound-a-like, the fact remains that she refused permission, and her identity was exploited regardless. It sets a dangerous precedent for copyright and consent if leading companies behave this way."
The controversy adds to growing scrutiny over AI's use of copyrighted materials. OpenAI has faced similar legal challenges, including a lawsuit by The New York Times alleging the use of its articles to train the ChatGPT AI model.
Source: BBC News
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