OpenAI to eliminate a ChatGPT voice that users say resembles Scarlett Johansson. The voice, Sky, used to demo the new GPT-4o model, is now suspended.
Sky’s voice is not a replica of Scarlett Johansson’s; instead, it belongs to a different professional actress who uses her natural voice. AI voices should not intentionally mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice,” the business stated in a blog post. “We cannot disclose the names of our voice talent to respect their privacy.”
Last week, a demo video went viral on social media, with some noting how close Johansson’s voice sounded. Some compared the voice to a male fantasy, while others criticized it for being unduly flirty.
The seductive voice has been compared to Scarlett Johansson’s virtual assistant in the 2013 movie “Her.” Joaquin Phoenix’s character in the film ultimately develops feelings for the virtual assistant.
After the company’s presentation, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted “Her,” although the business hasn’t compared Sky’s voice to Johansson’s.
The demo was meant to demonstrate the chatbot’s improved conversational skills, but it quickly gained popularity when the seductive voice began to giggle at nearly everything an OpenAI staffer said. The chatbot once told the worker, “Wow, that’s quite the outfit you’ve got on.” Another time, the chatbot was complimented and exclaimed, “Stop it, you’re making me blush.”
OpenAI states in a blog post that it wants the voices of its chatbots to be “approachable” and “inspire trust.” Additionally, it calls for them to have a “warm, engaging, charismatic, confidence-inspiring voice.”
“In the future, we want to add more voices in ChatGPT to match users’ diverse interests and preferences better,” according to OpenAI.
