Scarlett Johansson ‘shocked, angered’ by ChatGPT voice that sounded ‘eerily similar’ to hers

Actress Scarlett Johansson said she was “shocked” and “angry” on Monday after ChatGPT launched its voice-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, which she claims sounds “eerily similar” to her own voice.

Johansson, in a statement, noted that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had previously contacted her about creating an AI for the company, but she declined. The company released a demo of its “Sky” voice assistant last week.

“When I heard the demo released, 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 media outlets wouldn’t know the difference,” she said in a statement. . to the hill.

“Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider,” she continued. “Before we could connect, the system was already available.”

Altman seemed to recognize the similarity, posting a single word – “her” – on social media platform X – possibly in reference to the 2013 film of the same name, where Johansson plays an artificial intelligence that bonds with a person.

Johansson said she hired a lawyer to request that OpenAI remove the “Sky” voice, which she “reluctantly” agreed to do.

“At a time when we are all fighting against deepfakes and protecting our own image, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are issues that deserve absolute clarity,” she said. “I look forward to a resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”

OpenAI responded in a statement Mondaysaying that “Sky’s” voice is not an imitation of the Hollywood star.

“We believe that AI voices should not deliberately imitate a celebrity’s distinctive voice, the company wrote. “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson, but belongs to a different professional actress, using her own natural voice.”

The controversy was also presented on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, with “Weekend Update” co-host Colin Jost — Johansson’s husband — forced to read a joke written by his co-host mocking his wife.

“ChatGPT launched a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in ‘Her’, which I never bothered to watch because without that body, what’s the point of listening?” he said.

Members of Congress have raised concerns about deepfakes and AI voice and image imitations in recent months, with the issue getting its own hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee last month.

Singer FKA Twigs told the hearing that she developed her own deepfake voice that sounded like herself to better interact with fans around the world, but that unauthorized songs with mimed voices make her and other artists feel “vulnerable.”

“Ultimately, it all comes down to my spirit, my art, and my brand is my brand and I spent years developing it and it is mine,” she wrote in a written testimony. “It doesn’t belong to anyone else to — to be used in a commercial or cultural sense or even just for laughs.”

“You know, I am me. I am a human being and we have to protect that,” she added.

Similar deepfake technology has also been used for crimes. Late last month, a fake voice posed as a Maryland school principal, creating a fake recording that included racist and anti-Semitic comments. The controversy forced the director to leave before it was discovered that it was fabricated.

Concerns have also been raised about the potential impact of AI on the upcoming elections. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was brought into the conversation earlier this year after a digitally altered robocall message created to sound as if President Biden was urging New Hampshire residents not to vote in the February primary.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story