OpenAI has announced that they are working to pause the use of Sky, a voice featured in the new ChatGPT model reminiscent of Scarlett Johansson’s voice in the movie Her. The company explained in a message that they have chosen and trained the voices of actors for ChatGPT, with a specific paragraph addressing the similarities with Johansson’s voice.
The reasons for pausing the use of Sky became known on Monday afternoon, with speculation on social media about a possible lawsuit by Scarlett Johansson. While there was no lawsuit, legal warnings did play a role in the decision. Johansson revealed that a ChatGPT executive had approached her to use her voice but declined the offer, only to later discover that the Sky voice sounded eerily similar to hers.
OpenAI introduced conversations with voices in September 2023 but generated hype around Sky’s voice with the release of their new model, ChatGPT-40. The company and its employees made references to the movie Her, in which Johansson played the voice of a chat system. Legal actions forced OpenAI to remove the Sky voice from their products.
The company explained that they started the process of choosing voices for ChatGPT in 2023 and received 400 proposals. The selected voices had to embody specific traits, and the actors were compensated above market rates. As they continue to introduce new voices into ChatGPT, OpenAI emphasized the importance of respecting individual rights and transparency in their processes.