ChatGPT suspends tool for having a voice similar to Scarlett Johansson

O ChatGPT suspended the use of a voice assistant due to its resemblance to the voice of the American actress Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow”; “Girl with a Pearl Earring”). The decision was announced this Monday (20) by the company OpenAI.

“We hear questions about how we choose voices on ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we resolve these issues”, wrote the company’s official profile on X, formerly Twitter.

OpenAI had already published, on Sunday (19), an article on its official website in which it argued that it did not try to imitate the actress’s voice.

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

The name of the actress who voiced the Sky assistant was not disclosed to protect her privacy, according to the company.

In addition to the explanation about Scarlett Johansson, Sunday’s text also talks about how ChatGPT voices are chosen.

“Each of the voices [do ChatGPT] – Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky – are samples from voice actors we partnered with to create them. We worked with industry-leading casting and directing professionals to screen more than 400 submissions before selecting the five voices,” reads an excerpt from the document.

Only the Sky service will be suspended so far. The other four voice assistants will remain active in the OpenAI chatbot.

“Voice mode is one of ChatGPT’s most beloved features (…) Looking ahead, you can expect even more options as we plan to introduce additional voices to ChatGPT to better suit users’ diverse interests and preferences.”