OpenAI has recently been involved in several controversies. Just days ago, it was revealed that the company’s employee exit contract penalized former employees by revoking their equity if they criticized OpenAI. Furthermore, OpenAI dropped the ‘Sky’ voice from ChatGPT after Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about its uncanny similarity to her voice.
Despite these controversies, OpenAI recently launched its ChatGPT 4o model at the Spring Update event, making it free for everyone. The event showcased the model’s ability to engage in incredibly natural voice conversations. The ‘Sky’ voice, which sounded remarkably similar to Scarlett Johansson’s voice from the movie ‘Her,’ sparked considerable attention and comparison.
Even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, couldn’t resist commenting, tweeting ‘her’ on X, which only added to the buzz. However, just five days after its launch, OpenAI removed the ‘Sky’ voice from ChatGPT. The company clarified that the voices in ChatGPT were sampled from voice actors they partnered with and did not disclose the identity of the voice actor behind ‘Sky’ to protect their privacy.
In a statement to The Verge, Sam Altman mentioned that they paused ‘Sky’s’ voice “Out of respect for Ms. Johansson.” Regarding the similarity between ‘Sky’ and Scarlett Johansson’s voice, OpenAI’s blog stated the following:
“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. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents.”
~ Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
An NPR report reveals that Scarlett Johansson feels betrayed upon discovering the striking similarity between her voice and ‘Sky’s’ voice in ChatGPT. Johansson’s legal team has sent letters to OpenAI requesting a detailed explanation of the process used to create the ‘Sky’ voice.
Interestingly, it has come to light that Sam Altman had been in discussions with Scarlett Johansson since September 2023 to have her voice become part of ChatGPT 4o. However, Johansson declined the offer due to personal reasons. Nine months later, OpenAI released ChatGPT 4o with the ‘Sky’ voice, which bore a remarkable resemblance to Johansson’s voice.
“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.”
~ Scarlet Johansson, Actor
Johansson now seeks complete clarity and transparency from OpenAI to ensure the protection of individual rights. What are your thoughts on this development? Share them in the comments below.
