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OpenAI released a new voice assistant feature for ChatGPT called 'Sky' that many users and the actress Scarlett Johansson noted sounded 'eerily similar' to her voice. Johansson, who had previously declined an offer from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to license her voice, publicly stated she was shocked and angered by the release. OpenAI subsequently suspended the use of the Sky voice, maintaining that it was the natural voice of a different actress and not an imitation, though the incident sparked significant debate regarding AI ethics, likeness rights, and the need for transparency in AI development.
OpenAI unveiled a voice assistant with a voice resembling Scarlett Johansson's, despite her refusal to license her voice. Johansson claimed the assistant, "Sky," sounded "eerily similar" to her voice, leading her to seek legal action. OpenAI suspended Sky, asserting the voice was from a different actress.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems capable of creating economic or cultural value, including through reproduction of human innovation or creativity (e.g., art, music, writing, coding, invention), destabilizing economic and social systems that rely on human effort. The ubiquity of AI-generated content may lead to reduced appreciation for human skills, disruption of creative and knowledge-based industries, and homogenization of cultural experiences.
Also classified as
The flirty, highly human-like voice design raised concerns about users anthropomorphizing the AI and forming unhealthy emotional attachments.
The incident highlighted the lack of adequate federal regulatory frameworks and legal protections for individuals' voices and likenesses against AI replication.
The incident involves the alleged unauthorized imitation of a celebrity's distinctive voice and likeness, highlighting anxieties about the devaluation of human creative work and the lack of consent and compensation for artists.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Unintentional
Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident arose from human decisions during the casting, development, and marketing of the ChatGPT voice feature, resulting in an unexpected public backlash and legal dispute after its public demonstration.
OpenAI's release and subsequent suspension of the 'Sky' voice assistant, which closely resembled actress Scarlett Johansson, sparked significant intellectual property and ethical debates but carries negligible national security implications.
The reports describe the AI system as a 'conversational AI system' and 'virtual assistant' designed to 'listen to spoken prompts and respond verbally' to augment human capabilities. It acts as a voice mode for ChatGPT, providing information and suggestions under human oversight.
Limited Risk: The system is a chatbot and generates synthetic voice outputs. Under the EU AI Act, chatbots and AI systems generating synthetic content (like deepfakes or synthetic voices) are classified as Limited Risk, requiring transparency so users know they are interacting with an AI.
The primary function of the GPT-4o feature was to act as an interactive AI voice assistant, utilizing advanced voice generation to converse naturally with users.
The reports provide highly detailed, consistent accounts of the timeline, the statements from both Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI, the legal context, and the technical details of the GPT-4o voice feature. There is minimal ambiguity regarding the core events, although OpenAI's internal intent remains a point of public dispute.
None that significantly alter the classification of the incident as a likeness/publicity rights dispute.
Technology
Highly Realistic Voice Generation
GPT-4o voice technology allows highly realistic, humanlike vocal expression.
Flirtatious Conversational Tone
The model was designed to use a playful, expressive tone that drew scrutiny.
Data Inputs
Similar Natural Voice Casting
Hired actress had a natural voice with a similar breathiness and huskiness.
Lack of Explicit Voice Data Consent
Industry standard of training models on internet data without explicit consent.
Human Factors
Public Association with Her Movie
Users strongly associated the warm, breathy voice with the movie Her.
Perception of Male Fantasy Voice
Critics felt the coquettish tone reflected a male developer's fantasy.
Fear of Likeness Appropriation
High sensitivity among creatives regarding AI replicating their work.
Process and Methods
Lack of External Verification
No independent process to verify that the voice did not mimic a celebrity.
Inadequate Communication Process
Failed to communicate the casting process transparently to Johansson's team.
Rapid Release Cycle
Released the demo before establishing clear legal and ethical boundaries.
Management
Executive Hubris and Outreach
Altman pursued Johansson twice, creating a perception of deliberate copying.
Poor Internal Coordination
Few employees knew of Altman's outreach, leading to misaligned actions.
Provocative Public Marketing
Altman's 'her' tweet publicly linked the product to Johansson's character.
Regulatory Environment
Scant Voice Protection Regulations
Federal laws have not matured to protect a person's voice from AI replication.
Wild West Legal Landscape
Absence of clear, nationwide rules governing AI training on human likeness.
Non-binding Local Protections
Voice protections vary widely by state, creating legal loopholes.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
