Just days after unveiling the upgraded ChatGPT avatar capable of real-time, human-like responses, OpenAI has decided to pause the much-discussed "Sky" voice feature.
This decision comes in light of concerns that the Sky voice too closely resembles Scarlett Johansson’s performance as the AI character in the film “Her.” OpenAI has refuted claims that the voice is a direct imitation, clarifying that it features a “different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”
Currently, it is uncertain when, or if, the Sky voice will be reinstated. However, ChatGPT users can still choose from four alternative voice options: Breeze, Cove, Ember, and Juniper.
Following this announcement, journalist Yashar Ali shared a statement from Johansson’s representative, confirming that Johansson had been approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for her voice prior to the new voice launch but declined. Johansson expressed her shock and frustration upon hearing the demo, noting the voice was alarmingly similar to hers, leading many—including friends and news outlets—to confuse the two.
OpenAI launched voice features for ChatGPT in September 2023, but the initial model exhibited noticeable latency due to its reliance on three distinct systems: one for transcribing audio to text, GPT-3.5/GPT-4 for generating responses, and another for converting the text back to audio. As a result, the AI struggled with reacting to tone, multiple speakers, and background noises.
To address these limitations, OpenAI recently announced GPT-4o—a unified, real-time multimodal AI that integrates text, voice, and vision, delivering responses in approximately 320 milliseconds. This upgrade positioned ChatGPT as a potential competitor to established voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.
Following the launch, users quickly began to observe that the Sky voice bore a striking resemblance to the AI character “Samantha” from “Her,” leading to speculation about whether OpenAI may have used AI to replicate Johansson's voice characteristics.
In response to these concerns, OpenAI has paused the Sky voice while clarifying that it is not an imitation of Johansson but rather the voice of a professional actress selected after an extensive five-month recruitment process. “We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice,” stated OpenAI in a blog post. They emphasized that the voices—selected from a pool of 400 applicants—were chosen based on criteria reflecting diversity, timelessness, and warmth.
Amid the pause on the Sky voice, the other four voice options remain available. With the upcoming rollout of GPT-4o’s new Voice Mode, users can explore these alternatives as they interact with the AI.
As for the future of the Sky voice, it is still unclear what adjustments OpenAI plans to implement to address the concerns regarding its similarities to Johansson's character. The company remains committed to collaborating with the voice actors involved and is planning to expand its offerings with additional voice options to cater to varied user preferences and interests.
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