Highlights

• Scarlett Johansson claims OpenAI used her voice for GPT-4o without permission
• OpenAI denies the use of Johansson’s voice, citing a different actress was used
• Elon Musk criticizes OpenAI, calling the situation “obviously a ripoff”
• The incident raises concerns about AI ethics and intellectual property rights

Artificial intelligence has been fast-tracking the tech world with equal blessings and controversies.

Recently, Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of using her voice for their new model ChatGPT-4o without her permission.

What Was the Controversy About?

ScarJo vs. OpenAI recap

• Altman asks to use her voice for GPT-4o
• ScarJo declines
• 9 months later rolls out “Sky” who sounds just like her
• ScarJo team says wtf, sends multiple letters to Altman
• OpenAI claims it wasn’t meant to sound like her
• Says they chose voice… pic.twitter.com/icpH5hJKg3

— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) May 21, 2024

Johansson told Variety that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, came to her in 2023 asking her to offer her voice to GPT-4o. She refused for personal reasons.

After hearing the demo, she was shocked and angrily felt they had used her voice despite her ‘no.’.

OpenAI denies using Johansson’s voice, but Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), scolded OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. Musk’s post on X titled the scenario as “obviously a ripoff.”

The GPT-4o model, capable of processing audio, visual, and text, has a voice many say sounds like Johansson’s.

The case brings up serious issues regarding the ethics of artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights, especially if someone’s voice is used without permission.

Response from Open AI

According to OpenAI, the voice in GPT-4o is not Johansson’s but that of another professional actress, whose identity is not published for reasons of privacy.

Sam Altman responded to the incident, pointing out that they cast the voice actor before contacting Johansson and have suspended usage of the voice due to her concerns.

“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,” Altman said in a statement to NBC.

This dispute points out to the critical need for AI developers to respect individual privacy and secure proper consent, further fueling the debate on ethical AI practices.

Did OpenAI respect Johansson’s wishes? We’ll never know. But with such a sharp copy of her voice, there sure are some troubled times ahead in the fight against deepfakes and misinformation.

FAQs

What is Scarlett Johansson accusing OpenAI of?

Scarlett Johansson accuses OpenAI of using her voice without her consent for their new GPT-4o model.

How did OpenAI respond to Johansson’s accusations?

OpenAI denies using Johansson’s voice, stating that the voice in GPT-4o belongs to another professional actress, whose identity remains undisclosed for privacy reasons.

What did Elon Musk say about the situation?

Elon Musk criticized OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. on X (formerly Twitter), describing the situation as “obviously a ripoff.”

What are the capabilities of the GPT-4o model?

The GPT-4o model can process audio, vision, and text, and features a voice that many believe resembles Scarlett Johansson’s.

What broader issues does this controversy highlight?

The incident underscores significant issues in AI ethics and intellectual property rights, especially concerning the use of someone’s voice without permission, and the critical need for AI developers to respect individual privacy and secure proper consent.

Also Read: GenAI Could Revolutionise Smartphone Technology in 2024: Unpacking the Implications

Also Read: Elon Musk’s xAI Launches Grok, A New Challenger to ChatGPT in Generative AI Technology

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