Scarlett Johansson SLAMS OpenAI’s “Eerily Similar” Voice After Declining Offer | E! News
TLDRScarlett Johansson has publicly criticized OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman for using a voice in their AI software that she claims resembles her own without permission. After rejecting an offer to be the voice of their chatbot 4.0 system, she accuses the company of proceeding with a voice that 'sounded like me' on their new system called Sky. Johansson was 'shocked, angered, and in disbelief' upon hearing the demo. She also alleges that Altman intentionally referenced her role in the film 'Her' in a tweet. OpenAI has paused the use of Sky's voice and denies any deliberate imitation, stating it belongs to a different professional actress.
Takeaways
- 🗣️ Scarlett Johansson accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of using a voice in AI software that resembles hers without consent.
- 📅 In September, Altman allegedly offered Johansson to be the voice of the chat gbt 4.0 system, which she declined for personal reasons.
- 🗣️ Johansson claims that OpenAI proceeded to use a voice 'that sounded like me' on their new system called Sky.
- 😳 She expressed shock, anger, and disbelief at the demo's release, noting that it was 'eerily similar' to her voice.
- 💬 Altman is said to have tweeted a single word, 'Her', referencing the film where Johansson voiced a chat system, which she sees as an intentional similarity.
- 📞 Johansson alleges that Altman contacted her agent four days before the demo, asking her to reconsider the offer.
- 📜 She was forced to hire legal counsel as a result of OpenAI's actions, and her lawyers sent two letters to Altman and OpenAI.
- 🛑 OpenAI agreed to take down the Sky voice after Johansson's legal intervention.
- 👥 Johansson calls for transparency and legislation to protect individual rights in the face of deep fakes and identity protection.
- 📣 OpenAI addressed concerns over the Sky voice, stating they are pausing its use and denying any intentional replication of Johansson's voice.
- 🤫 OpenAI maintains the voice belongs to a different professional actress and will not disclose the talent's name to protect privacy.
Q & A
What issue did Scarlett Johansson raise with OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman?
-Scarlett Johansson raised an issue regarding OpenAI's use of a voice in its artificial intelligence software that she believes sounds like her own without her consent.
What was the offer that Sam Altman allegedly sent to Scarlett Johansson in September?
-Sam Altman allegedly sent Scarlett Johansson an offer to hire her as the voice of the chat gbt 4.0 system.
Why did Scarlett Johansson decline the offer to be the voice of the chat gbt 4.0 system?
-Scarlett Johansson declined the offer for personal reasons, stating that she felt her voice would be comforting to people.
What did Scarlett Johansson accuse OpenAI of doing after she declined their offer?
-Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of going ahead with the project by using a voice that sounded like hers without her consent on their new system called Sky.
What was Scarlett Johansson's reaction upon hearing the released demo of the Sky system?
-Scarlett Johansson was shocked, angered, and in disbelief that Sam Altman would pursue a voice that sounded eerily similar to hers.
What did Sam Altman tweet in response to the controversy, and how did Johansson interpret it?
-Sam Altman tweeted a single word 'Her', which is a reference to the film where Scarlett Johansson voiced a chat system named Samantha. Johansson interpreted this as an insinuation that the similarity was intentional.
What action did Scarlett Johansson take after the release of the Sky system's demo?
-Scarlett Johansson was forced to hire legal counsel due to OpenAI's actions.
What did Johansson's lawyers do in response to the situation with OpenAI?
-Johansson's lawyers wrote two letters to Sam Altman and OpenAI, leading to the company agreeing to take down the Sky voice.
What does Scarlett Johansson hope for in terms of resolution and legislation?
-Scarlett Johansson hopes for transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected, especially in the context of deep fakes and the protection of likeness, work, and identities.
How did OpenAI address concerns over the Sky voice?
-OpenAI tweeted that they were working to pause the use of Sky while they address the concerns, and they denied that the audio intentionally replicated Johansson's voice.
What was OpenAI's explanation for the voice used in the Sky system?
-OpenAI stated that Sky's voice belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice, and they did not deliberately mimic Scarlett Johansson's distinctive voice.
Outlines
📢 Scarlet Johansson's Dispute with Open AI Over Voice Mimicry
Scarlet Johansson has publicly accused Open AI CEO Sam Altman of using a voice in the company's AI software that resembles her own without her permission. In a statement released by her representative on May 20, Johansson claims that Altman had previously offered her a role as the voice of the chat gbt 4.0 system, which she declined for personal reasons. Despite her refusal, she alleges that Open AI proceeded to use a voice in their new system called Sky that was strikingly similar to hers. Johansson states that she was 'shocked, angered, and in disbelief' upon hearing the demo, and that her friends, family, and the public also noticed the similarities. The actress further accuses Altman of insinuating the similarity was intentional through a tweet referencing her role in the film 'Her.' Open AI has responded to the allegations, stating that they are pausing the use of Sky's voice and denying any intentional replication of Johansson's voice, asserting that Sky's voice belongs to a different professional actress. Johansson has called for transparency and legislation to protect individual rights in the face of deep fakes and identity protection issues.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Scarlett Johansson
💡OpenAI
💡Sam Altman
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡Voice
💡Consent
💡Chatbot 4.0 System
💡Sky
💡Legal Counsel
💡Deep Fakes
💡Legislation
Highlights
Scarlett Johansson accuses OpenAI of using a voice similar to hers without her consent in their AI software.
Johansson was offered to be the voice of OpenAI's chatbot 4.0 system in September but declined the offer.
She claims that her voice was used in the new system called Sky despite her refusal.
Friends, family, and the public have noted similarities between Johansson's voice and the one used in Sky.
Johansson was shocked, angered, and in disbelief about the voice used in the demo.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman allegedly insinuated the similarity was intentional with a tweet.
Johansson's legal counsel was hired in response to OpenAI's actions.
OpenAI was contacted by Johansson's lawyers, who wrote two letters to CEO Sam Altman.
OpenAI agreed to take down the Sky voice after legal pressure.
Johansson calls for transparency and legislation to protect individual rights.
OpenAI addresses concerns over the Sky voice and pauses its use.
OpenAI denies that the audio was intended to mimic Johansson's voice.
The voice in question belongs to a different professional actress, according to OpenAI.
OpenAI states that they cannot share the names of their voice talents to protect privacy.
E! News has reached out to OpenAI and Sam Altman for comments but has not received a response.
