Scarlett Johansson slams Open AI over using her likeness

Good Morning America
21 May 202403:04

TLDRActress Scarlett Johansson has taken issue with Open AI, accusing the company of creating an AI personal assistant named Sky with a voice that closely resembles her own. Despite Johansson's refusal to lend her voice to the project, Open AI's CEO Sam Altman allegedly approached her to reconsider just days before the release. Johansson's legal team is demanding disclosure on how the voice was developed, while Open AI counters that Sky's voice belongs to another professional actress. This case raises new questions about AI, trust, and intellectual property rights, highlighting the need for clearer regulations in this emerging field.

Takeaways

  • 🗣️ Scarlett Johansson accuses Open AI of copying her voice without permission for their AI personal assistant, Sky.
  • 🎥 Johansson claims she was approached by Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, to lend her voice to the AI system, which she declined.
  • 🎬 The actress alleges that Open AI's Sky has a voice strikingly similar to her own, as heard in the 2013 film 'Her'.
  • 🤖 Sam Altman has admitted to being a fan of the film 'Her', which may have influenced the development of Sky's voice.
  • 📢 Johansson's legal team demands Open AI to disclose how they developed the voice for Sky.
  • 🚫 Open AI disputes the similarity, stating that Sky's voice belongs to a different professional actress.
  • 🎙️ The company says they cast the voice for Sky before reaching out to Johansson, and they regret not communicating better with her.
  • 🤝 Open AI worked with a casting director and considered over 400 submissions to select the final voice.
  • 🛡️ The incident raises questions about legal rights and the ethical use of celebrity voices in AI technology.
  • 🔮 This case highlights the emerging challenges related to AI, trust, and the need for regulations in the field of generative AI.

Q & A

  • Who is Scarlett Johansson calling out and why?

    -Scarlett Johansson is calling out Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, for allegedly creating an AI personal assistant named Sky that has a voice eerily similar to her own without her consent.

  • What was Scarlett Johansson's role in the 2013 movie 'Her'?

    -In the 2013 movie 'Her', Scarlett Johansson played the role of an AI assistant, which is the same type of character that Open AI's new AI personal assistant, Sky, is based on.

  • How did Sam Altman respond to the allegations made by Scarlett Johansson?

    -Sam Altman responded by stating that AI should not deliberately mimic a celebrity's distinctive voice and that Sky's voice belongs to a different professional actress who was cast before they reached out to Johansson.

  • What legal action is Scarlett Johansson taking against Open AI?

    -Scarlett Johansson's lawyers are insisting that Open AI disclose how it developed the voice of Sky, and she is seeking to establish whether she has legal rights against Open AI for creating a voice so close to her own.

  • What was the role of the casting director in the development of Sky's voice?

    -The casting director worked with Open AI to narrow down more than 400 submissions to five voices, from which the voice for Sky was chosen.

  • What did Sam Altman say about the film 'Her' and its influence on Open AI's project?

    -Sam Altman stated that the film 'Her' was his favorite and that it was incredibly prophetic, with many elements that inspired the development of Open AI's conversational language interface.

  • What is the main issue that Scarlett Johansson is raising with Open AI?

    -The main issue is not that her voice was taken, but whether there was something so close to her voice that she should have legal rights against Open AI for creating a similar voice without her permission.

  • How does Open AI explain the similarity between Scarlett Johansson's voice and Sky's voice?

    -Open AI explains that the similarity is coincidental and that Sky's voice belongs to a different professional actress who was cast independently of any contact with Johansson.

  • What broader implications does this situation raise regarding AI and technology?

    -This situation raises broader issues related to AI, such as trust, deep fakes, and the need for legal and ethical guidelines to govern the use of AI technologies, especially when they mimic human voices or likenesses.

  • What is the current status of the dispute between Scarlett Johansson and Open AI?

    -As of the script, the dispute is ongoing, with Johansson expressing shock, anger, and disbelief, and Open AI disputing the comparison and expressing regret for not communicating better.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ AI Voice Controversy Involving Scarlet Johansson

Actress Scarlet Johansson is in a dispute with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, over the company's new AI personal assistant, Sky, which she claims has a voice eerily similar to her own. Johansson alleges that she was approached by Altman to lend her voice to the AI but declined. Despite this, Sky's voice is said to be strikingly similar to Johansson's portrayal of an AI in the 2013 movie 'Her'. Altman has expressed admiration for the film, which may have influenced the development of Sky's voice. OpenAI counters the claim, stating that Sky's voice comes from a different professional actress and that they did not intentionally mimic Johansson. The controversy raises questions about legal rights, AI ethics, and the implications of deep fakes, highlighting the need for clearer guidelines in this emerging field of technology.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson is a renowned American actress known for her roles in various films, including 'Her' where she plays an AI assistant. In the context of this video script, she is the central figure who has taken issue with Open AI for allegedly copying her voice without her consent for their AI personal assistant, named Sky.

💡Open AI

Open AI is a leading generative artificial intelligence company. In this video script, it is portrayed as the entity that has developed an AI personal assistant which Scarlett Johansson claims has a voice eerily similar to her own, leading to a dispute over intellectual property and the use of likeness in AI technology.

💡AI personal assistant

An AI personal assistant, as mentioned in the script, refers to an artificial intelligence system designed to perform tasks or services usually done by a human assistant. In this case, Open AI's AI personal assistant named Sky is at the heart of the controversy due to its voice's similarity to Scarlett Johansson's.

💡Sam Altman

Sam Altman is the CEO of Open AI. He is highlighted in the script as having been a fan of the film 'Her' and having approached Scarlett Johansson to be the voice of Open AI's new product. However, Johansson declined, and the subsequent creation of Sky's voice has led to the current controversy.

💡Voice imitation

Voice imitation involves replicating the unique sound and characteristics of a person's voice. In the video's narrative, the issue arises from Open AI's AI assistant Sky having a voice that is claimed to imitate Scarlett Johansson's, which raises questions about legal rights and the ethics of using a celebrity's likeness in AI.

💡Legal rights

Legal rights in this context refer to the potential claims Scarlett Johansson may have against Open AI for the use of a voice similar to hers in their AI product. The script suggests that her lawyers are pushing for disclosure on how Open AI developed the voice, indicating a possible legal dispute.

💡Deep fakes

Deep fakes are synthetic media in which a person's likeness or voice is faked using AI. The script raises the issue of deep fakes in relation to AI technology, suggesting that the creation of AI voices that mimic celebrities could lead to ethical and legal challenges.

💡Trust

Trust is a central theme in the video script, as it pertains to how AI technologies are developed and used. The controversy over the AI assistant's voice raises questions about trust in AI, particularly regarding the use of personal likenesses and the transparency of AI development processes.

💡Generative artificial intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence refers to AI systems capable of creating new content, such as text, images, or voices. Open AI is described as a leading company in this field, and the script discusses the implications of generative AI in creating voices that mimic real people.

💡Casting director

A casting director is responsible for selecting actors for various roles. In the script, Open AI claims to have worked with a casting director to choose the voice for their AI assistant Sky from over 400 submissions. This process is highlighted to emphasize that the voice was not directly taken from Scarlett Johansson.

💡Ethical considerations

Ethical considerations are important in the development and use of AI technologies. The script touches on the ethical implications of creating AI systems that mimic human voices, especially those of well-known individuals, and the need for guidelines to navigate these new territories.

Highlights

Scarlett Johansson accuses Open AI of copying her voice for their AI assistant, Sky.

Johansson claims she declined an offer to be the voice of Open AI's system.

Open AI's CEO Sam Altman is a fan of the film 'Her', where Johansson played an AI assistant.

Johansson's lawyers demand Open AI to disclose how the voice was developed.

Open AI disputes the similarity, stating the voice belongs to a different professional actress.

Sam Altman regrets not communicating better with Johansson regarding the voice.

The voice of Sky was cast before Open AI reached out to Johansson.

Open AI narrowed down over 400 submissions to five voices for Sky.

The story raises questions about trust and the use of AI in creating celebrity-like voices.

The incident highlights the need for legal guidelines around AI and deep fakes.

Scarlett Johansson expresses shock, anger, and disbelief over the situation.

The case could set a precedent for future disputes involving AI and celebrity likeness.

Open AI's Sky AI assistant has a voice that is eerily similar to Johansson's.

Scarlett Johansson starred as an AI in the 2013 movie 'Her'.

The controversy brings up the ethical implications of AI technology.

The future of AI and its impact on privacy and identity is a growing concern.

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