After the GPT-4o demo drew attention to "Sky," a ChatGPT voice said to closely resemble Scarlett Johansson, who voiced an AI in the film "Her," OpenAI paused the voice. Johansson stated she was "shocked" and "angered," saying Sam Altman had approached her in September 2023 to voice the system and that a similar voice was used after she declined; she said she had hired legal counsel. OpenAI countered that Sky was not an imitation of Johansson but the natural voice of a different professional actress.
20May 2024
Scarlett Johansson disputes OpenAI's "Sky" voice
The parties dispute whether Sky was intended to imitate Johansson. Johansson's statement asserted the resemblance and prior negotiations, while OpenAI said it was a different actress's natural voice and not an imitation. There has been no definitive third-party finding.