In a recent development, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has sued OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for apparently using her voice as their AI voice assistant.
The actress refused an offer last September to voice the company’s new chatbot, which reads text aloud to users.
When the new ChatGPT model, GPT-4o, with conversational capability, debuted last week, users quickly compared the chatbot’s “Sky” voice to Johansson’s in the 2013 film “Her.”
“When I heard the release 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 statement reads.
Johansson’s statement says her agent was contacted by Altman two days before last week’s demo, asking her to reconsider not working with OpenAI. After seeing the demo, she hired legal counsel to request details on how the new voice was made.
Consequently, OpenAI announced on Sunday that it has decided to “pause the use of Sky.”
Further, the company also posted a blog explaining the process used to create the voice.
In a reply, OpenAI said, “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her natural speaking voice. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents.”
Integrating voice capabilities in ChatGPT
In September of 2023, OpenAI introduced voice capabilities to give users another way to interact with ChatGPT.
In early 2023, OpenAI partnered with award-winning casting directors and producers to select voice actors for ChatGPT. They created criteria based on unique voice personalities and global appeal. Characteristics included:
- Actors from diverse backgrounds or who could speak multiple languages
- A voice that feels timeless
- An approachable voice that inspires trust
- A warm, engaging, confidence-inspiring, charismatic voice with a rich tone
- Natural and easy to listen to
In May 2023, the casting agency and the casting directors issued a call for talent. Within a week, they received over 400 submissions from voice and screen actors.
To audition, actors were given a script of ChatGPT responses and were asked to record them. These samples ranged from answering questions about mindfulness to brainstorming travel plans and even engaging in conversations about a user’s day.
“During June and July, we flew the actors to San Francisco for recording sessions and in-person meetings with the OpenAI product and research teams. On September 25, 2023, we launched their voices into ChatGPT,” says the company.
“This entire process involved extensive coordination with the actors and the casting team, taking place over five months. We are continuing to collaborate with the actors, who have contributed additional work for audio research and new voice capabilities in GPT-4o,” adds OpenAI in its blog post.
OpenAI plans to provide early access to a new Voice Mode for GPT-4 in alpha to ChatGPT Plus users in the coming weeks.
The company explains, “GPT-4 handles interruptions smoothly, manages group conversations effectively, filters out background noise, and adapts to tone.”
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