Breakdown
- Scarlett Johansson has accused ChatGPT of copying her voice
- The "Sky" voice supposedly sounds like Johansson's voice from Her
- OpenAI has previously said that they never intended to copy the MCU actor's voice
Scarlett Johansson has released a lengthy statement about the recent ChatGPT controversy, revealing she turned down an offer to take part in the tech. The actress is now accusing OpenAI of imitating her voice, despite the company saying that they weren’t trying to copy her voice.
In a lengthy statement released by the actor (via Culture Crave), Johansson said that OpenAI boss Sam Altman offered her a job for the service, but she declined. Despite saying no, the actress was shocked to hear this “Sky” voice, as it sounded eerily similar to her voice.
While OpenAI said that the ChatGPT app didn’t mean to copy her, Sam Altman released a tweet that hurt this defense. Prior to the voice’s showcase, Altman released a tweet that simply said “Her,” referring to the 2013 film starring Johansson and Joaquin Phoenix. Needless to say, this is going to be a hard defense for the company, especially since they had denied the allegation.
AI voices have been controversial for a long time now, with many artists worried about their likeness being used for nefarious reasons. Usually, companies try to work with artists to ensure that they benefit from their voices being used, like Disney reaching an agreement with Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones.
Fans of Johansson immediately recognized her voice when ChatGPT showcased the “Sky” voice, which was eerily similar to how she sounded in Her. Other users also complained about how flirty the voice was, with many feeling that it was trying to appeal to the male gaze. At the time of writing, OpenAI hasn’t responded to Johansson’s accusations, though they did deny “Sky” sounding like her.
Despite how controversial AI has been, it seems that most people have accepted the fact that ChatGPT won’t be going anywhere. As long as AI doesn’t replace anyone’s job, users might get used to this technology and maybe even embrace it in the future.