'I was shocked, angered and in disbelief': Scarlett Johansson accuses OpenAI of using AI voice 'eerily similar to hers'

Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson is accusing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of using an artificial intelligence voice closely resembling hers for the company's ChatGPT voice software, despite her declining an offer to be involved.

The controversy surrounds OpenAI’s recently launched AI voice, "Sky", which was quickly pulled after users noted its striking similarity to Johansson's voice in the film "Her." Johansson, who played the voice of an AI virtual assistant in the film, claims Altman approached her last September and again two days before ChatGPT-4o's launch on May 13, seeking her participation in the project.

"After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer," Johansson stated to CNBC, revealing that she was later shocked to discover how much "Sky" sounded like her, a similarity noted by friends, family, and the media.

While OpenAI maintains that "Sky's" voice is not an imitation of Johansson's and was performed by a different actress, the company admits to pausing the voice's use "out of respect" for Johansson. "We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better," Altman told CNBC in a statement, who had previously tweeted the cryptic message “her” on the day of ChatGPT-4o’s launch.

Johansson, however, remains unconvinced, claiming that Altman's tweet implied an intentional resemblance to her voice. She has hired legal counsel and sent two letters to OpenAI demanding transparency about the creation of "Sky."

"When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference," Johansson told CNBC in a statement. "Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her.’”

Johansson's accusation against OpenAI comes at a time when the rise of AI technology and deepfakes raises critical questions about the protection of individual likeness and identity. The actress expresses her desire for "resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected."

This latest controversy is not Johansson's first public clash with a major company. In 2021, she settled a breach of contract lawsuit with Disney regarding the release of "Black Widow."