Actress Scarlett Johansson is threatening authorized motion in opposition to Sam Altman and his firm OpenAI, claiming they copied her voice for ChatGPT with out her permission.
Johansson, who voiced the AI assistant within the 2013 sci-fi movie “Her,” mentioned ChatGPT's “Sky” voice is so eerily much like her personal that her closest mates don't may make a distinction.
In an announcement supplied to USA TODAY, Johansson mentioned that Altman requested her to be the voice of his AI system, and when she refused, he copied her voice anyway.
Altman even made one other effort to recruit Johansson, she mentioned.
“Two days earlier than the ChatGPT four.zero demo was launched, Mr. Altman contacted my agent asking me to rethink,” she wrote. “Earlier than we may join, the system was there.”
Altman denied that the voice was Johansson's. OpenAI mentioned it helps stronger protections in opposition to deepfakes and is working to stop its artificial voices from copying these of actual individuals.
“Sky's voice is just not Scarlett Johansson's and was by no means meant to sound like hers,” Altman mentioned in an announcement Monday evening. “We selected the voice actor behind Sky's voice earlier than any communication to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we’ve got discontinued the usage of Sky's voice in our merchandise. We’re sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t talk higher. “
When OpenAI launched a demo of its newest ChatGPT mannequin final week, it included “Voice Mode,” with an emotional AI answering questions. A type of voices was “Sky”.
“Once I heard the demo launched, I used to be shocked, indignant, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily much like mine that my closest mates and information retailers couldn't inform the distinction.” , Johansson mentioned. . Altman even hinted that the likeness was intentional, sending the only phrase 'she' — a reference to the movie through which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who kinds an intimate relationship with a human.”
OpenAI mentioned it was “stopping” the usage of Sky's voice to reply questions on the way it selected ChatGPT's voices.
A Sunday weblog submit by the AI firm mentioned Sky's voice “is just not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson, however belongs to a different skilled actress utilizing her personal pure voice” and that the corporate “fastidiously chosen” every of the voices alongside the course. of a five-month trial.
Johansson mentioned her authorized counsel wrote two letters to Altman and OpenAI, asking them to “element the precise course of by which they created the voice of 'Sky.'
“Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take away the 'Sky' voice,” she mentioned.
The information was first reported by NPR.
The battle with Johansson comes at a tough time for OpenAI, which is dealing with litigation from media corporations, authors and artists for allegedly utilizing their materials with out consent or compensation.
“Johansson is without doubt one of the most well-known actresses on this planet and speaks for a complete class of creatives who at the moment are fighting the truth that automated methods have begun to erode the worth of their work. OpenAI's choice to usurp its voice for its personal functions will now obtain extensive and justified consideration,” journalist Casey Newton wrote in Platformer Monday.
One other energy participant, SAG-AFTRA, mentioned it helps Johansson. The influential union representing tv and radio artists is preventing for the rights to actors' voices and pictures, whereas studios look to make use of AI to create leisure. SAG-AFTRA mentioned it helps federal laws that will defend its members' voices and likenesses from unauthorized digital replication.
“We thank Ms. Johansson for talking out on this problem of essential significance to all SAG-AFTRA members. We share her considerations and totally help her proper to readability and transparency relating to the voice used,” SAG-AFTRA mentioned in an announcement Tuesday.
Altman mentioned in a speech final yr that he and different OpenAI executives have been impressed by “Her,” the story of a lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love together with his digital assistant Samantha (Johansson).
OpenAI workers tweeted references to the movie on social media platform X following final week's announcement. Altman posted one phrase: “she.”
Mira Murati, the chief expertise officer of OpenAI, mentioned that the OpenAI workforce was extra impressed by human dialog than “Her”. “Whenever you cease speaking, I'm about to come back in. I can learn your tone and reply to that. And it's actually pure and wealthy and interactive,” she mentioned, in response to the Wall Road Journal.
When requested by USA TODAY, ChatGPT mentioned that Sky's voice “doesn't particularly mimic Scarlett Johansson's voice” and that it was developed to have “a impartial, pure tone somewhat than emulating a sure movie star's voice.”
Johansson, a star of the Marvel universe, has challenged the enterprise giants earlier than. In 2021, she settled a breach of contract lawsuit she filed in opposition to Walt Disney over her fee for “Black Widow.”
That is Johansson's full assertion:
“Final September, I acquired a suggestion from Sam Altman, who needed to rent me to voice the present ChatGPT four.zero system. He instructed me that he felt that by giving my voice to the system, I may bridge the hole between tech and artistic corporations and assist shoppers get comfy with the seismic shift round people and AI. He mentioned he felt my voice can be comforting to individuals.
After a lot consideration and for private causes, I declined the supply. 9 months later, my mates, household and most people remarked how a lot the most recent system referred to as “Sky” gave the impression of me.
Once I heard the demo launched, I used to be shocked, indignant, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily much like mine that my closest mates and information retailers couldn't inform the distinction. Mr. Altman even hinted that the resemblance was intentional, sending the only phrase “her” — a reference to the movie through which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who kinds an intimate relationship with a human.
Two days earlier than the ChatGPT four.zero demo was launched, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to rethink. Earlier than we may log in, the system was there.
On account of their actions, I used to be compelled to rent authorized counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, telling them what that they had carried out and asking them to element the precise course of by which they created the voice of “Sky “. Because of this, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to drop the “Sky” voice.
In a time once we're all coping with deepfakes and defending our personal likeness, our personal work, our personal identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute readability. I look ahead to decision within the type of transparency and acceptable laws to assist be certain that particular person rights are protected.”