Scarlett Johansson did not mince words when she issued a statement accusing OpenAI of using a voice strikingly similar to hers for their new ChatGPT feature.
Scarlett Johansson believes OpenAI stole her voice
The actress revealed that she had been approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in September 2023, who offered her the chance to voice their new ChatGPT product.
Johansson declined the offer, only to be shocked and angered when the “Sky” voice was launched and sounded almost identical to hers.
“When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered, and in disbelief that Mr Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine,” Johansson stated.
She also pointed out that Altman had hinted at the similarity being intentional by tweeting the word “her,” a nod to the film Her, in which Johansson voiced an AI character named Samantha.
Two days before the Sky chatbot was released, Altman contacted Johansson’s agent, asking her to reconsider her decision.
Johansson remains unsure about how the Sky voice was created and expressed concerns about the growing issue of deepfakes and the protection of personal likenesses.
“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” she wrote.
OpenAI clears the air on now ChatGPT voices were chosen
In response to the controversy, OpenAI issued a statement on Monday, announcing they would pause the use of the Sky voice but maintained that it was not intended to imitate Scarlett Johansson.
OpenAI explained that the voices for ChatGPT were selected through an extensive process involving professional voice actors, talent agencies, casting directors, and industry advisors over five months.
OpenAI emphasised its commitment to supporting the creative community, stating:
“We support the creative community and worked closely with the voice acting industry to ensure we took the right steps to cast ChatGPT’s voices. Each actor receives compensation above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products.”
According to OpenAI, the Sky voice, along with the other voices—Breeze, Cove, Ember, and Juniper—was sampled from voice actors who partnered with them to create these features.
They clarified that Sky’s voice belongs to a different professional actress using her natural speaking voice, not an imitation of Johansson.
The company detailed their selection process, which began with over 400 submissions from voice and screen actors.
These actors were asked to record samples of ChatGPT responses, ranging from mindfulness questions to brainstorming travel plans.
The casting team reviewed these submissions and hand-selected an initial list of 14 actors, which was then refined to five final voices after discussions about the vision for human-AI interactions.
In June and July, the selected actors flew to San Francisco for recording sessions with the OpenAI product and research teams.
These voices were launched in ChatGPT in September 2023, following extensive coordination and recording sessions.
