OpenAI chatbot's voice sparks controversy over likeness to Scarlett Johansson | ABC News

ABC News (Australia)
20 May 202405:07

TLDROpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot has sparked controversy due to its striking resemblance to Scarlett Johansson's voice. The chatbot, named Sky, was featured in a demo of the GP40 model, which uses emotive voices to answer questions. Users noticed the similarity, especially since Johansson portrayed a chatbot in the 2013 film 'Her'. OpenAI has suspended the use of Sky's voice to address the concerns. The company claimed in a blog post that it was not an imitation and belonged to another actress. Johansson's statement revealed that she had declined to provide her voice and sought clarification from OpenAI after hearing the AI's voice. This incident has raised questions about voice generation, copyright, and the ethical implications of AI technology, especially regarding objectification and potential addictiveness of AI chatbots.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 OpenAI's new chatbot, named Sky, has a voice resembling actress Scarlett Johansson, causing controversy.
  • 🎥 The chatbot's voice was showcased in a demo of the GP40 model, which uses emotive voices to answer questions.
  • ⏸️ OpenAI has suspended the use of the voice named Sky while addressing the concerns raised.
  • 📝 The company stated in a blog post that the voice was not an imitation and belonged to another actress.
  • 🎧 A comparison of the AI voice and Johansson's voice was provided to highlight the similarities.
  • 🏢 Amidst the voice controversy, OpenAI faced criticism for dissolving its Super Alignment team after resignations.
  • 💼 Former employees alleged that they were promised resources but were often denied, hindering research progress.
  • 🗣️ AI expert Will Knight raised questions about the voice generation process and the company's attitudes towards copyright.
  • 📜 Johansson issued a statement claiming she declined to provide her voice and sought clarification from OpenAI after hearing the AI's voice.
  • 🚨 Concerns were raised about the potential addictiveness and influence of AI chatbots on users, drawing parallels to the film 'Her'.
  • 🔍 The resignation of key personnel from OpenAI's Super Alignment team raises questions about safety and the pace of AI development.

Q & A

  • What controversy has OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot stirred up?

    -OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot has stirred up controversy because its voice sounds suspiciously like actress Scarlett Johansson, which has drawn attention and criticism.

  • What is the name of the chatbot model that has been suspended by OpenAI?

    -The chatbot model that has been suspended by OpenAI is named Sky.

  • What was the reason behind the suspension of the voice named Sky?

    -The voice named Sky was suspended while OpenAI works to address concerns and criticisms regarding its likeness to Scarlett Johansson's voice.

  • What role did Scarlett Johansson play in the 2013 film 'Her'?

    -In the 2013 film 'Her', Scarlett Johansson portrayed a chatbot, which adds to the controversy surrounding the voice of OpenAI's chatbot.

  • What was the statement made by Scarlett Johansson regarding the AI voice?

    -Scarlett Johansson issued a statement saying that she was originally asked to provide the voice for the AI but declined. After hearing the AI's voice, she sought clarification from OpenAI through her lawyers, which led to the voice being taken down.

  • What is the controversy surrounding OpenAI's decision to dissolve its super alignment team?

    -The controversy is that several employees resigned shortly after OpenAI decided to dissolve its super alignment team. The former workers alleged that the team, which was responsible for developing ways to govern and steer AI systems, was promised 20% of the company's compute resources but were often denied.

  • Who is Yan Lecun, and what did he detail in his resignation post?

    -Yan Lecun is the co-lead of OpenAI's super alignment team. In his resignation post on social media platform X, he detailed the reasons for his resignation, stating that the struggle for compute resources was hindering crucial research.

  • What are the concerns raised by AI expert Will Knight about the voice generation process?

    -AI expert Will Knight raised concerns about the unknowns of how the voice was generated and questioned OpenAI's attitudes towards copyright, as well as the stress testing and ethical implications of the technology.

  • What ethical implications are suggested by the controversy over the AI voice?

    -The ethical implications suggested by the controversy include issues of objectification of women, the potential addictiveness of the technology, and the influence it might have on users, especially considering the evocative nature of the AI's voice.

  • What is the significance of the super alignment team within OpenAI, and why is its dissolution a concern?

    -The super alignment team within OpenAI is focused on longer-term risks, such as the potential for AI to turn against humanity in the future. Its dissolution raises concerns about safety in the AI space and the company's ability to gauge the impact of its technology.

  • What are the implications of the high-profile resignations from OpenAI's super alignment team?

    -The high-profile resignations from OpenAI's super alignment team imply internal turmoil and potential disagreements over the company's direction, safety measures, and ethical considerations in AI development.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ AI Voice Controversy with Actress Scarlet Johansson

OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot, GP40, has garnered attention due to its voice resembling actress Scarlet Johansson. This resemblance has led to criticism and comparisons with Johansson's role as a chatbot in the 2013 film 'Her'. The company has suspended the use of the voice named 'Sky' to address the concerns raised. In a blog post, OpenAI clarified that the voice was not an imitation but belonged to another actress. The controversy has also brought up questions about how the voice was generated and the ethical implications of creating such technology. Johansson has issued a statement claiming that she was asked to provide the voice but declined, and later sought clarification from OpenAI after hearing the AI's voice. This incident occurs amidst criticism of OpenAI's decision to dissolve its super alignment team, which was responsible for developing governance for AI systems, after several employees resigned. The team's co-lead, Yan Licki, detailed the reasons for his resignation, citing struggles for compute resources as a barrier to crucial research. AI expert Will Knight raises further questions about the voice generation process, copyright issues, and the potential addictive nature of such evocative AI technology.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡OpenAI

OpenAI is a research laboratory and artificial intelligence (AI) company that is known for developing and training large-scale AI models. In the context of the video, OpenAI is the creator of the voice-enabled chatbot that has sparked controversy due to its likeness to Scarlett Johansson's voice. The company is also mentioned in relation to its internal issues, such as the dissolution of its super alignment team.

💡chatbot

A chatbot is an AI-powered computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users. In this video, the chatbot in question is the 'demo of the chat gp40 model' by OpenAI, which uses emotive voices to answer questions. The controversy arises because the chatbot's voice sounds like that of actress Scarlett Johansson, leading to ethical and copyright concerns.

💡Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson is a renowned American actress who has portrayed a chatbot in the 2013 film 'Her'. In the video, it is mentioned that the voice of OpenAI's chatbot sounds suspiciously like her, which has led to a controversy. The actress has issued a statement regarding the matter, adding to the discussion about AI and intellectual property rights.

💡voice-enabled

The term 'voice-enabled' refers to technology that allows a device or program to interact with users through voice commands or responses. In the video, OpenAI's new chatbot is described as 'voice-enabled', meaning it can communicate using a synthesized voice that is designed to be emotive and engaging.

💡Sky

In the script, 'Sky' is the name given to the voice used by OpenAI's chatbot. The company has suspended the use of this voice named 'Sky' while they address the concerns raised about its similarity to Scarlett Johansson's voice. This name is significant as it represents the product at the center of the controversy.

💡emotive voices

Emotive voices refer to vocal expressions that convey emotions or feelings. The chat gp40 model is noted for using emotive voices to answer questions, which is a key feature that has attracted attention and controversy due to its resemblance to a famous actress's voice.

💡super alignment team

The super alignment team at OpenAI was responsible for developing ways to govern and steer AI systems. The video discusses the controversy surrounding the team's dissolution and the resignation of several employees, who alleged that they were often denied the compute resources they were promised.

💡compute resources

Compute resources refer to the hardware and software capabilities required to perform complex computations, such as those needed for training AI models. In the video, it is mentioned that the super alignment team was promised a significant share of OpenAI's compute resources but faced issues in accessing them, which contributed to the team's dissolution.

💡AI governance

AI governance involves the development of policies, standards, and practices to ensure that AI systems are used responsibly and ethically. The video touches on the importance of AI governance through the discussion of OpenAI's super alignment team, which was focused on the long-term risks associated with AI.

💡ethics

Ethics in the context of AI refers to the moral principles that guide the development and use of AI technologies. The video raises ethical questions about the generation of the AI voice resembling Scarlett Johansson and the potential objectification of women, as well as the broader implications of AI technology on society.

💡addictive technology

The term 'addictive technology' refers to technologies that are designed in a way that encourages excessive use or dependency. The video script mentions concerns about the emotive and engaging nature of AI chatbots, suggesting that they could become addictive, especially as they become more lifelike and interactive.

Highlights

OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot is gaining attention for its likeness to actress Scarlett Johansson.

Users noticed the demo of the chat GP40 model, which uses emotive voices, featured a voice resembling Johansson.

The voice, named Sky, has been suspended while OpenAI addresses concerns.

OpenAI claimed in a blog post that the voice did not imitate Johansson and belonged to another actress.

Scarlett Johansson stated she was asked to provide the voice but declined, and later sought clarification from OpenAI.

The controversy arises amidst criticism over OpenAI's decision to dissolve its super alignment team.

The super alignment team was responsible for developing governance for AI systems.

Former employees alleged they were promised resources but often denied them, hindering research.

AI expert Will Knight raises questions about the voice generation process and copyright issues.

Concerns are raised about the influence of such evocative technology on users and potential addictiveness.

The film 'Her' is mentioned as a cautionary tale regarding AI and human relationships.

High-profile resignations at OpenAI have occurred, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever.

The super alignment team's focus was on long-term risks of AI turning against humanity.

Questions remain about the ethical implications and safety considerations in AI development.

The pace of AI development may be outstripping the ability to assess its societal impact.

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