ChatGPT Fans Want Controversial ‘Sky’ Voice Back

Bereft fans have started a petition to restore the ‘Sky’ voice used by ChatGPT that was removed recently back but Scarlett Johansson might have something to say about that

OpenAI has removed the famous ‘Sky’ chatbot voice from ChatGPT in response to Scarlett Johansson‘s “disbelief” at how “eerily similar” the voice sounded to her own. However, supporters of the contentious voice featured in the ChatGPT application are dissatisfied and have initiated a petition to reinstate it.

The Sky voice, among several voices offered in the ChatGPT app for iOS and Android, has been discontinued.

OpenAI announced yesterday on X (previously Twitter) that the app had been paused to address “questions regarding the voice selection process in ChatGPT.”

Yesterday, when Johansson wrote a fiery statement to NPR in which she expressed “shock, anger, and disbelief” that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would “pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine” after she had declined to license her voice for the ChatGPT assistant twice, those questions became highly pointed.

OpenAI has refuted these allegations in a blog post that reads, “Sky’s voice is that of a different professional actress using her natural speaking voice; it is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson.”

However, OpenAI has been compelled to suspend the voice due to pressure from Johansson’s attorneys, who purportedly are demanding answers (as reported by NPR). This development has yet to please the admirers.

An intriguing illustration of the growing attachment that some individuals are exhibiting towards AI chatbots is a link to a Change petition in a popular Reddit thread titled “Petition to bring back Sky voice.”

At present, the petition has accumulated more than 300 signatures.

To be impartial, many Reddit signatures and comments predate both OpenAI’s justification for removing the Sky voice option from the ChatGPT app and Johansson’s statement.

Furthermore, there is a growing suspicion that the voice will not be merely halted but placed on an indefinite hiatus.

However, despite this, the thread provides a mildly unsettling glimpse into the future of convincing AI chatbot voices, regardless of whether renowned actresses license them.

Reddit user JohnDango writes, “She was the only bot I interacted with who possessed a genuineness” that elevated the conversation beyond mere chatbot status.” Similarly, GaneshLookalike laments, “Sky exuded humanity and compassion.”

While the case continues, that voice, which we found to be one of ChatGPT’s most convincing alternatives, has been put on hold. 

What is ChatGPT’s Sky voice up to next?

The resumption of ChatGPT’s ‘Sky’ voice appears to be not imminent. Scarlett Johansson stated in an NPR-disseminated statement that she had been “compelled to retain legal representation” and correspond with OpenAI regarding the production process of the voice.

Although OpenAI’s blog post appears to be a response to those inquiries, whether or not that is sufficient to deter the attorneys remains to be seen.

Johansson’s statement to NPR further emphasizes her resolve to investigate the matter, stating, “At a time when we are all confronted with deepfakes and the protection of our likeness, work, and identities, I believe these are questions that demand unequivocal answers.” 

Although there is no evidence to suggest that OpenAI cloned Johansson’s voice, the company did announce in March the development of a new voice synthesizer capable of presumably recreating a voice from 15 seconds of audio.

OpenAI stated that it was investigating the “responsible deployment of synthetic voices” regarding the tool’s non-publication, which was prompted by concerns regarding its potential for abuse.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, merely referred to her as “her” on X (previously Twitter) before the launch of the GPT-4o model, which featured the voice mode it demonstrated.

This did little to aid OpenAI’s cause. That is an indirect reference to the Spike Jonze film Her, in which Scarlett Johansson provides the voice of the AI virtual assistant Samantha, with whom a male develops a romantic relationship.

Fans of the ChatGPT application will likely have to settle for alternative accents, such as Breeze, Cove, Ember, and Juniper, for the time being as this intriguing legal matter continues.

OpenAI claims GPT-4o’s remarkable new conversational voice capabilities will be rolled out “in alpha within ChatGPT Plus in the coming weeks.” This should be fine with the rollout of these features.