In response to the actress’s concerns, OpenAI head Sam Altman issued an apology to Scarlett Johansson after she expressed surprise at a new synthetic voice released by the company. The voice, named “Sky,” was part of a demonstration showcasing OpenAI’s more human-like artificial intelligence technology, GPT-4.
Altman had previously referenced “Her” as an inspiration for the direction he envisions AI interactions going in. However, he clarified that Sky’s voice was not based on Johansson and that the voice actor behind Sky was cast before contacting her. In response to the controversy and out of respect for Johansson, OpenAI has stopped using Sky’s voice in their products.
Johansson expressed shock and disbelief at the similarity between Sky’s voice and her own, stating that even her closest friends and the media struggled to distinguish between the two. She revealed that Altman had previously approached her about collaborating on a synthetic voice project for OpenAI but she declined the offer.
In response to the controversy, Altman acknowledged the lack of communication and apologized for any confusion or frustration caused. The issue has been addressed, and OpenAI has taken steps to prevent any further misunderstandings in the future.
