In a surprising development, Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of creating a voice for the ChatGPT chatbot that sounds \"eerily similar\" to hers. The actress made these remarks after declining OpenAI's offer to voice the chatbot herself.
Johansson released a statement on Monday, expressing her shock and disappointment. \"Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named 'Sky' sounded like me,\" she said. Upon hearing a demo of the voice, she described her reaction as being \"shocked, angered and in disbelief.\"
OpenAI responded swiftly to the allegations. CEO Sam Altman clarified that the voice of Sky was not an imitation of Johansson's and belonged to a different professional actress. He stated, \"The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson's, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky's voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson.\" In light of the situation, OpenAI announced that it would pause using Sky's voice in their products out of respect for Johansson.
The controversy arises as OpenAI continues to innovate with new models like GPT-4o, which boasts enhanced reasoning capabilities across text, audio, and video in real-time. However, the latest model has faced criticism for interactions that some users found flirtatious and overly dramatic. Public reactions, including comments from The Daily Show's Desi Lydic, highlighted concerns about the technology's design and user experience.
As the dialogue between technology and personal identity evolves, this incident underscores the importance of ethical considerations in AI development and the profound impact these technologies have on public figures and their personal brands.
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Scarlett Johansson said ChatGPT's 'Sky' voice 'eerily similar' to hers
cgtn.com
