Scarlett Johansson battles OpenAI over unauthorized voice use

Scarlett Johansson was "shocked" and "angered" when OpenAI used a voice that was "eerily similar" to hers, writes Variety. The actress had not previously consented to collaborate with the company managed by Sam Altman.

Johansson rejected OpenAI’s proposal to lend her voice to the Sky system in ChatGPT. Nonetheless, OpenAI launched Sky a few days ago, which sounded strikingly similar to the actress’s voice from the 2013 film "Her," directed by Spike Jonze.

On Monday, the company announced it would "pause" the use of Sky's voice. Variety reports that OpenAI We claim to share a belief that AI voices should not intentionally mimic a celebrity's distinctive voice. Sky's voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to another professional actress using her natural voice.

For the 39-year-old actress, this is not enough. "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 that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference," the actress responded.

Johansson called for the introduction of regulations that would protect individuals from the misappropriation of their name, image, or likeness.

"In times when we are all grappling with counterfeits and protecting our own work and identity, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity," she emphasized. Johansson "eagerly awaits" legal solutions securing the protection of individual rights.

This is not the first time the four-time Golden Globe-nominated actress has fought against artificial intelligence. Last year, the American sued a company for generating her voice using an algorithm and then using it in an online advertisement.

This involved Convert Software studio, which created the Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar app. In the 22-second video, AI-generated photos of Johansson appear, as well as a cloned voice, also created by AI.