OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has disbanded its AI safety task force amidst allegations from actress Scarlett Johansson that the company imitated her voice without her consent.
OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence (AI) research and development company, has disbanded its AI safety task force, a technical advisory board established to address ethical concerns surrounding the responsible development and deployment of AI.
The safety task force was formed in 2022 and comprised a diverse group of experts from academia, industry, and government. Its mission was to provide guidance on the safe and beneficial development of AI technologies.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has found itself embroiled in a high-profile dispute with Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, who has accused the company of imitating her voice for its ChatGPT chatbot without her consent.
Johansson, known for her roles in films such as "Avengers" and "Her," claims that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman contacted her in September 2023 to propose her as the voice for ChatGPT's Voice Mode. She alleges that she declined the offer but was later surprised to discover that the "Sky" voice system sounded remarkably similar to her own.
In response to Johansson's accusations, Altman has denied that "Sky" was intended to resemble Johansson's voice. He stated that the voice actor was cast prior to any outreach to Johansson and that out of respect for her, they have paused using Sky's voice.
Joanne Jang, a product lead at OpenAI, has further clarified that Altman was not directly involved in the casting process due to his absence during a world tour.
The agent of the unidentified actress who provides the voice for "Sky" has come to her client's defense, stating that she was never asked to imitate Johansson's voice.
The agent said that her client auditioned for ChatGPT months before Altman reached out to Johansson and that the name "Sky" was chosen to convey a "cool, airy, and pleasant sound." She added that audio recordings of the actress's voice test sounded identical to the AI-generated Sky voice.
Johansson has expressed outrage over the alleged voice imitation and has hired legal counsel to explore potential legal action against OpenAI. She suggests that her lawyer's demands for an explanation prompted OpenAI to remove the "Sky" voice on Sunday.
The unidentified voice actress has shared her perspective on the situation, acknowledging that being a voice for ChatGPT involved entering "unknown and kinda scary territory." However, she believes that her role is "an inevitable step toward the wave of the future."
Representatives for Johansson have declined to comment on the matter, while Fox News' Lindsay Kornick has contributed to this report.
The allegations of voice imitation against OpenAI have raised significant questions about the ethical implications of AI development and the potential for intellectual property infringement. As the use of AI continues to expand, it is crucial for companies to prioritize transparency and responsible practices to avoid similar controversies in the future.
