- OpenAI introduced a new AI voice called “Sky” as part of its ChatGPT assistant, which many users found strikingly similar to Scarlett Johansson’s voice from the movie “Her.” [kpix.com, bbc.com, cbsnews.com, independent.co.uk, me.mashable.com, tagesspiegel.de]
- Scarlett Johansson claimed the “Sky” voice was “eerily similar” to her own and demanded an explanation from OpenAI about the process used to create it. [rbc.ru, tagesspiegel.de, welt.de, oglobo.globo.com]
- OpenAI initially denied that the “Sky” voice was an imitation of Johansson’s voice, stating it was based on a different professional actress’s recordings. [cbsnews.com, bbc.com, independent.co.uk, me.mashable.com, france24.com, cbc.ca, welt.de, oglobo.globo.com, english.aawsat.com, indiatvnews.com]
- Facing backlash and legal threats from Johansson, OpenAI paused the use of the “Sky” voice and later replaced it with a new voice called “Juniper.” [independent.co.uk, me.mashable.com, indiatvnews.com, english.aawsat.com]
- OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman stated that the decision to stop using the “Sky” voice was out of respect for Johansson, and clarified that the company does not intentionally mimic celebrity voices. [jp.reuters.com, nytimes.com, time.com, english.aawsat.com]
- Johansson revealed that Altman had previously approached her to collaborate on creating a synthetic voice for OpenAI, but she declined the offer. [rbc.ru, indiatvnews.com, english.aawsat.com]
- The controversy highlighted concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology to impersonate or mimic individuals without consent, and the need for transparency and effective laws to protect individual rights. [welt.de, oglobo.globo.com]
Sources:
kpix.com
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
bbc.com
cbsnews.com
independent.co.uk
me.mashable.com
tagesspiegel.de
welt.de
oglobo.globo.com
cbc.ca
france24.com
rbc.ru
english.aawsat.com
indiatvnews.com
jp.reuters.com
nytimes.com
time.com
