OpenAI discusses voice similarity issue with Scarlett Johansson

OpenAI recently addressed a controversy involving its ChatGPT voice assistant, “Sky,” which bore a striking resemblance to actress Scarlett Johansson’s voice. This similarity sparked discussions and led to the removal of “Sky” from the platform, underscoring the importance of clear communication and…

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OpenAI recently faced controversy when the voice of its ChatGPT assistant “Sky” closely resembled actress Scarlett Johansson. The company has since removed this default voice from the system and engaged in discussions with Johansson’s team to understand and address their concerns.
Scarlett Johansson revealed that despite declining an offer last year to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 system, the public, her family, and friends noted that the “Sky” voice was remarkably similar to hers, leading her to express dissatisfaction with OpenAI’s communication methods.
Joanne Jang, the model behavior lead at OpenAI, pointed out that compared to other voice assistants, ChatGPT’s voices are more expressive and customisable. Users can tailor the voice features to their liking, such as peppy, calm, or sad, enhancing the naturalness of the user

OpenAI removed the “Sky” voice from its ChatGPT platform due to its resemblance to Scarlett Johansson, despite her earlier refusal to voice the system. The company is now addressing feedback to improve user experience by enabling more personalised voice interactions.

Voice similarity issue

OpenAI faced a backlash after users and the actress Scarlett Johansson herself noted a striking similarity between Johansson’s voice and the ChatGPT voice assistant named “Sky.” This led to the removal of the “Sky” voice from the platform as OpenAI acknowledged the issue and initiated discussions with Johansson’s team to address their concerns.

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Communication improvements needed

The controversy highlighted a communication gap between OpenAI and Scarlett Johansson, who had previously declined an offer to lend her voice to the system. Johansson’s dissatisfaction stemmed from the public recognition of the similarity, which suggested a lack of clarity and upfront communication from OpenAI about the voice’s origins and characteristics.

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Personalised user experience

In response to the incident, OpenAI is focusing on enhancing the user experience by allowing more expressive and customisable voice interactions. The company emphasises the importance of user customisation, enabling the voice assistant to adapt to various personalities and moods, thereby making the digital interaction more natural and user-friendly.