OpenAI Faces Backlash for New AI Voice Imitating Scarlett Johansson
Voice mode is a new feature of ChatGPT which was initially introduced in September of 2023 by Open AI along with image capabilities in ChatGPT.
It was an attempt to offer an intuitive type of interface for users and customers to have a voice conversation or to show ChatGPT what the user or customer wanted to talk about.
Encouraged by the very positive response to these features (as claimed by OpenAI), the company decided to introduce 5 different voices- Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky to the users.
The Darkening “Sky”
Open AI claimed that voice actors from various fields had partnered with the company in providing them samples for these five different voices namely, Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky.
These voices were presented in the ChatGPT-4o demo where many users pointed out the similarities of the voice “Sky” persona to that of Hollywood Actress Scarlet Johansson’s character of Samantha, who is an artificial intelligence in the critically acclaimed 2014 AI movie “Her” where the main character Theodore buys an AI to write better and eventually falls in love with the idea of the AI Samantha.
Despite previously declining an offer to lend her voice to the project, the actress Scarlett Johansson was shocked and angered by the use of a voice that closely resembled hers without her permission. The voice sounded similar to Scarlett Johansson’s intangible AI companion in the movie “Her.”
Adding fuel to the fire OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X formerly Twitter on the movie “Her”.
her
— Sam Altman (@sama) May
13, 2024
Need For AI Regulatory Solutions
OpenAI stated that Sky’s voice was not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson’s and apologized for any miscommunication.
Scarlett Johansson’s lawyers contacted OpenAI to have the Sky voice taken down. She called for legislation to protect individuals from having their name, image, or likeness misappropriated.
This follows the Screen Actors Guild recently won a lengthy strike against Hollywood studios culminating in a contract that protected actors against AI programs where actors were protected against having their likeness in any form being used in AI programs without consent from the respective actors.
There is a need for laws that keep up with advancing technology, especially in Generative AI. A good example would be in the EU, where the General Data Protection Regulation gives actors rights on how organisations use their personal data. This includes voice samples too.
As any global organisation has to respect the General Data Protection Regulations, it’s a strong start that should be emulated by rights organisations across the world.
