Scarlett Johansson has recently spoken out about her clash with artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI after they allegedly imitated her voice in their ChatGPT system. The actor, who noticed that there were similarities between the new voice option for the system and her own voice, complained to OpenAI and the voice was removed. Speaking at the release of her new film, Fly Me To The Moon, Johansson emphasized the need for legislation in AI to ensure the protection of people’s rights, likening this situation to how vulnerable everyone is in the AI era.
Johansson alleged that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, insinuated the use of her voice by tweeting the word ‘her’. She claims that before the release of the ChatGPT system, Altman approached her to be the voice actor for the ‘Voice Mode’ option, which she declined. After which, he allegedly contacted her agent to ask for reconsideration, despite her initial refusal.
OpenAI has since removed the voice option ‘Sky’; however, they deny that it was based on Johansson’s voice. Altman posted on his Twitter account, “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”
In other AI news, Sony Music, UMG, and Warner Records recently sued two AI brands for copyright violation. In response, OpenAI researcher Alec Radford called for fairness and transparency in AI, stating that it was essential to recognize the developers’ hard work while protecting the original creators’ work from misappropriation.
Johansson’s collision with OpenAI exemplifies the need for AI governance. In public consultation, the European Commission discussed AI governance with the intention of imposing rules for transparency in AI. This framework included data usage, intellectual property, liability concerns, and risk management principles, but the governance did not meet the necessary standards. In the meantime, organizations must protect apposite voice models and their right to control how their likeness is used
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