Scarlett Johansson revealed that she had declined an offer from OpenAI to voice their new ChatGPT 4.0 system, “Sky,” which she believes sounds similar to hers after hearing the voice during the company’s announcement.
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According to Page Six, the actress explained that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman extended the offer in October 2023. “He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people,” she told the outlet. However, Johansson denied the offer for personal reasons.
However, she noticed that the voice used for “Sky” sounded remarkably similar to hers, and some fans even compared the AI voice to her role in the 2013 film “Her,” in which she voiced Samantha, the female operating system. Johansson continued to say that she was shocked by the demo and felt angered that Altman reportedly used a voice similar to hers.
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“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 that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,”
She also believes that Altman’s decision was intentional after he announced the latest version of ChatGPT.
Johansson claimed that two days before the demo release, Atlman reportedly asked her to reconsider the offer, but before they could reconnect, the “Sky” demo was released. The actress noted that she had to seek legal counsel, and subsequently, OpenAI agreed to take down the voice after breaking down the creation process with her attorneys.
“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”
