OpenAI has announced it is pausing the use of one of its ChatGPT voices, “Sky,” following user concerns that the voice sounds strikingly similar to actress Scarlett Johansson. The voice was part of the demo for OpenAI’s new ChatGPT 4.0 model, which featured an emotive voice answering user questions.
Similarity to Scarlett Johansson sparks concerns
The resemblance was immediately noticed by viewers, particularly because Johansson famously voiced an AI in the 2013 film “Her.” OpenAI founder Sam Altman even hinted at the connection by posting “her” on X (formerly Twitter) during the demo. This similarity prompted OpenAI to reconsider the use of the Sky voice.
“We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky,” the company posted Monday morning. “We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.”
Extensive casting process for voice selection
In a blog post, OpenAI explained its rigorous process for creating the voices, emphasizing that they are not intended to mimic any celebrity. The company clarified that Sky’s voice is performed by a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. To protect privacy, the names of the voice talents were not disclosed.
OpenAI began collaborating with well-known casting directors and producers in early 2023, receiving over 400 submissions before narrowing down the selection to 14. They held detailed discussions with each actor about the vision for human-AI voice interactions and the technology’s capabilities, limitations, and risks. Ultimately, five voices were chosen.
The actors traveled to San Francisco for recording sessions before the voices were released into ChatGPT last fall. OpenAI plans to continue adding new voices to the platform, maintaining its support for the creative community, and ensuring fair compensation for voice actors.
“We support the creative community and worked closely with the voice acting industry to ensure we took the right steps to cast ChatGPT’s voices,” the blog post stated. “Each actor receives compensation above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products.”
OpenAI’s decision to pause the Sky voice highlights the ongoing challenges of developing AI technologies that respect both intellectual property and public sentiment.
