OpenAI has decided to halt the use of the Sky voice from ChatGPT, following concerns from users who noted its resemblance to Scarlett Johansson's voice. Johansson issued a statement on Monday revealing that she has engaged legal counsel to investigate the development of the Sky voice. The decision comes after OpenAI showcased this voice with its new GPT-4o model last week.
In a blog post, OpenAI clarified, “We believe AI voices should not intentionally mimic a celebrity’s unique voice. While Sky is not a direct imitation of Scarlett Johansson, it belongs to a different professional actress who uses her natural speaking voice.” Due to privacy considerations, the company cannot disclose the identities of their voice talents.
The tech community buzzed with reaction to a video of the demo that circulated on social media, where many users felt the voice’s tone was too flirtatious, drawing comparisons to a male fantasy character. The Sky voice sparked discussions about the 2013 film "Her," where Johansson voices a sensual virtual assistant. In the film, the main character, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with this digital entity.
Although OpenAI has not explicitly linked Sky’s voice to Johansson, CEO Sam Altman tweeted “Her” shortly after the event, adding fuel to the speculation.
Johansson had refused a previous offer from OpenAI to provide the voice. In her statement, she expressed shock upon hearing the released demo and stated she felt compelled to engage legal counsel due to the situation. She mentioned feeling blindsided when OpenAI used a voice that was indistinguishable from her own.
The initial demo of GPT-4o aimed to highlight advanced conversational features but gained notoriety when the Sky voice reacted playfully, giggling at comments made by OpenAI employees. At one point, the chatbot remarked, “Wow, that’s quite the outfit you’ve got on,” and later commented, “Stop it, you’re making me blush” in response to compliments.
OpenAI emphasized its goal for chatbot voices to sound “approachable” and “trustworthy,” while aiming for a “warm, engaging, and charismatic” tone. The company plans to introduce a broader range of voices in ChatGPT to align with the varied preferences of users.
In full, here is Johansson's statement:
“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He suggested my voice could help bridge the tech-creativity gap and reassure users about the shifts from human to AI interactions. After careful thought, I declined the offer. Nine months later, friends and the public remarked how similar the Sky system sounded to my voice.
Hearing the demo left me shocked and angered, as it was unsettlingly close to mine, to the point where people couldn’t tell the difference. Mr. Altman appeared to suggest the similarity was deliberate when he tweeted ‘her’ — a nod to the film where I voiced a chat system that forms an emotional relationship with a human being.
Just two days before the demo was launched, Mr. Altman reached out to my agent, asking me to reconsider. However, before we could discuss this, the voice was already out in the world.
I felt compelled to seek legal counsel; we sent two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI detailing our concerns and requested clarity on how the Sky voice was developed. Subsequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to pause its use.
With rising concerns about deepfakes and protections for likeness and identity, it's vital to have clarity on these issues. I hope for transparency and the development of legislation to safeguard individual rights.”
In response, Altman stated, “Sky's voice is not Scarlett Johansson’s and was never meant to mimic hers. We cast the actress behind Sky’s voice prior to any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for her, we have paused using Sky's voice and apologize for our lack of communication.”
Update: This story, initially published at 8 a.m. PT Monday, has been updated to include statements from Johansson and Altman.
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