OpenAI Pulls Flirty ChatGPT Voice Amid Scarlett Johansson Controversy
OpenAI removes its "Sky" voice option from ChatGPT after widespread comparisons to actress Scarlett Johansson. The company insists the voice belongs to a different actress, while Johansson pursues legal action over the striking similarity.
OpenAI removes the "Sky" voice from ChatGPT after users point out its striking resemblance to actress Scarlett Johansson. The company states that the voice belongs to a different professional actress using her natural speaking voice and denies intentionally mimicking the celebrity. However, OpenAI decides to pause the feature to avoid further confusion and protect the privacy of its voice talent.
Johansson releases a statement revealing that she hires legal counsel to investigate the origins of the AI voice. She explains that OpenAI approached her last September to license her voice, but she declined the offer for personal reasons. The actress expresses shock upon hearing the recent GPT-4o demo and states that the company reluctantly agrees to remove the Sky voice after her lawyers intervene.
The controversy stems from a viral demo last week where the chatbot giggles frequently and makes flirtatious comments like telling an employee they are making it blush. Viewers immediately draw comparisons to the 2013 movie "Her," where Johansson voices a seductive AI assistant. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fuels these comparisons by simply tweeting the word "her" right after the highly publicized event.