Scarlett Johansson has taken legal action against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, over concerns that a voice generated by the company's ChatGPT system closely resembles her own, according to a statement Johansson released on Monday. Johansson believes that OpenAI violated her likeness and work and has called for transparency and the development of legislation to protect individual rights.
Renowned actress Scarlett Johansson has initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research and deployment company, and its CEO, Sam Altman, regarding a voice generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT system that bears an uncanny resemblance to her own.
Johansson's concerns arose from OpenAI's "Sky" voice system, which she alleges is a near-identical replication of her voice. This prompted her to take legal action, sending two letters to Altman and OpenAI outlining their actions and seeking an explanation of how the "Sky" voice was created.
In her statement, Johansson vehemently denies any involvement in the development of the "Sky" voice. She claims that Altman approached her in September 2023 regarding a potential collaboration to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 system, praising her "comforting" voice and its potential to bridge the gap between tech companies and artists.
However, after careful consideration, Johansson declined the offer for personal reasons. Nonetheless, she was shocked and dismayed to discover public discussions speculating that the "Sky" voice sounded strikingly like hers.
Johansson asserts that Altman implied the similarity was intentional, tweeting the word "her" in reference to the 2013 film in which she voiced an intimate artificial intelligence system, Samantha. This led to confusion among friends, family, and the media, prompting Johansson to seek legal recourse.
Two days before releasing the "Sky" demo, Altman contacted Johansson's team, but she was unable to respond before its release. Consequently, she was forced to hire legal counsel to address the issue. OpenAI subsequently agreed to remove the "Sky" voice.
Johansson emphasizes the importance of protecting individual rights in the face of emerging technologies like deepfakes that can manipulate and imitate human likeness. She advocates for transparency and appropriate legislation to safeguard identities and prevent potential exploitation.
OpenAI, in its response to Johansson's accusations, maintains that the "Sky" voice is not an imitation of her voice and was never intended to resemble hers. The company claims to have cast the voice actor before reaching out to Johansson and insists that the voice is distinct and belongs to a different professional actress.
OpenAI has issued a blog post acknowledging the concerns surrounding the "Sky" voice and announcing its decision to "pause" the use of the voice. The company highlights a five-month process involving professionals to create the voices used in ChatGPT and denies any deliberate attempt to mimic a celebrity's voice.
"We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity's distinctive voice—Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice," the blog post reads. "To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents."
The controversy surrounding the "Sky" voice has sparked debates about the ethics of artificial intelligence and the need for clear guidelines to protect individuals' rights and prevent the misuse of personal characteristics without consent.
