When OpenAI debuted its new voice assistant expertise this month, it instantly drew comparisons to the 2013 Spike Jonze sci-fi movie “Her.”
Because it seems, the likeness might have been too shut for consolation.
Actor Scarlett Johansson, who voiced the pc program in “Her,” mentioned she employed attorneys after discovering OpenAI launched a ChatGPT voice that sounded eerily just like hers with out her granting permission.
In a Monday assertion, Johansson mentioned she was approached by OpenAI’s chief government, Sam Altman, in September to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 system, however she declined to take part. Altman had pursued Johansson to lend her voice to the app as a result of “he felt that my voice can be comforting to individuals,” Johansson mentioned in her assertion.
However after she declined, she was angered and shocked to listen to a voice utilized in a demo by OpenAI that seemed like hers. Two days earlier than the demo, Johansson mentioned that Altman contacted her agent asking the actor to rethink.
Within the film “Her,” Johansson performs “Samantha,” the disembodied voice of a pc who gives friendship and, finally, like to a lonely man performed by Joaquin Phoenix.
“In a time after we are all grappling with deepfakes and the safety of our personal likeness, our personal work, our personal identities, I consider these are questions that deserve absolute readability,” Johansson mentioned in an announcement. “I sit up for decision within the type of transparency and the passage of applicable laws to assist be sure that particular person rights are protected.”
OpenAI on Monday mentioned it’s pausing using the voice generally known as “Sky,” which some individuals say appears like Johansson.
“We’ve heard questions on how we selected the voices in ChatGPT, particularly Sky,” OpenAI posted on X on Monday. “We’re working to pause using Sky whereas we deal with them.”
Altman appeared to ask parallels to the movie in his announcement of the interactive voice function, saying in a weblog put up that it “looks like AI from the films.” “Her” was nominated for a number of Oscars, with Jonze successful the Academy Award for unique screenplay.
On Might 13, Altman posted the phrase “her” on X, which many observers interpreted as a direct reference to the Oscar-winning film.
Regardless of the hanging sonic resemblance, OpenAI mentioned that Johansson didn’t really present the voice of Sky, one in all a number of voice choices obtainable on the app. Quite, one other actor was utilizing her personal “pure talking voice,” OpenAI mentioned in a Monday weblog put up.
“We consider that AI voices mustn’t intentionally mimic a star’s distinctive voice,” the corporate mentioned.
Altman in an announcement mentioned that the corporate had solid the voice actor behind Sky’s voice earlier than it had reached out to Johansson.
“The voice of Sky just isn’t Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was by no means supposed to resemble hers,” Altman mentioned in an announcement. “Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have now paused utilizing Sky’s voice in our merchandise. We’re sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t talk higher.”
The controversy comes at a time when issues have been raised inside the leisure trade about whether or not copyrighted materials is used to coach AI fashions.
OpenAI has mentioned its giant language fashions, together with those who energy ChatGPT, are developed via data obtainable publicly on the web; materials acquired via licenses with third events; and knowledge its customers and “human trainers” present.
The corporate has mentioned it believes coaching AI fashions on publicly obtainable supplies on the web is “honest use.”
However some media shops, together with the New York Occasions, have sued OpenAI, involved about how its tales are utilized by the tech firm.
Sony Music Group is within the means of sending out tons of of letters to AI builders and music streaming providers, together with OpenAI and Google, warning them to not use its artists’ music to coach generative AI instruments with out its permission. Actors and writers even have raised issues about AI’s affect on their livelihoods.
Expertise businesses are being proactive in defending their purchasers towards unauthorized use of their likeness and voice. Century Metropolis-based Artistic Artists Company helps purchasers via the Vault, which scans purchasers’ our bodies and information their actions and voices to create a digital model of them to guard towards copyright infringement.
Johansson is a consumer of CAA. CAA declined to remark.
OpenAI mentioned that the voices for ChatGPT — known as Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky — are from voice actors who went via an audition course of. Greater than 400 individuals utilized. A number of the traits OpenAI was in search of embody “a voice that feels timeless” and “an approachable voice that evokes belief.”
The chosen actors got here to San Francisco to document their voices in June and July of 2023, and their voices have been added in September of that 12 months, the corporate mentioned. The corporate mentioned the actors have been compensated with “above top-of-market charges” and that they have been conscious of the intentions and scope of the venture.
“To guard their privateness, we can’t share the names of our voice skills,” OpenAI mentioned.