Scarlett Johansson alleges that OpenAI misused her voice after she refused permission for it to be used in voice software.

• Scarlet Johansson claims that OpenAI used her voice without permission to create the "Sky" AI voice for ChatGPT.
• Johansson's statement read, "I was stunned, enraged, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would mimic a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that even my closest friends and news outlets couldn't differentiate between the two."
• Last September, CEO Sam Altman approached Johansson, and two days before the launch of ChatGPT4 last week, he approached her again.

Despite her refusal of his invitation, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman used a voice similar to Scarlett Johansson's for its artificial intelligence voice software.

OpenAI has announced that it will discontinue its ChatGPT AI voice, "Sky," which was launched last week and sparked controversy due to its resemblance to Johansson's voice in the movie "Her."

Johansson voiced the character in "Her," a film about a man's relationship with a virtual AI named Samantha, which was announced on May 13 after Altman approached her in September.

""Nine months after declining the offer for personal reasons, my friends, family, and the general public noticed how much the newest system named 'Sky' sounded like me," Johansson stated in a CNBC interview."

On the day OpenAI announced its new AI, Altman posted a message on Twitter that read "her."

"Upon hearing the demo, I was stunned, enraged, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would use a voice so similar to mine that even my closest friends and news outlets couldn't differentiate between them. Mr. Altman even suggested that the resemblance was deliberate, tweeting the word 'her'."

The actress, who has previously sparred with large companies like Disney, announced on Monday that she has hired legal counsel.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI shared details about the selection process for the voices in ChatGPT, specifically addressing concerns about Sky, on Monday via X.

"The company stated in a blog post on Sunday that the voice of the sky is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but is that of a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. However, to protect their privacy, they cannot reveal the names of their voice talents."

Altman and OpenAI were asked by Johansson to provide a detailed explanation of the process used to create Sky.

"As we grapple with the challenges of deepfakes and protecting our own likeness, work, and identities, I believe it is crucial to have absolute clarity on these issues. I eagerly await a resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to safeguard individual rights."

No response was immediately received from OpenAI regarding Johansson's statement.

Here is Scarlett Johansson's full statement:

In September, I was offered a job by Sam Altman to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He believed that my voice could help bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives, and make consumers feel more comfortable with the shift towards humans and AI. He thought my voice would be comforting to people.

Nine months after declining the offer, my friends, family, and the general public noticed how much the newest system named "Sky" resembled my voice.

Upon hearing the demo, I was stunned, enraged, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would use a voice so similar to mine that even my closest friends and news outlets couldn't differentiate between the two. Mr. Altman even suggested that the resemblance was deliberate, tweeting the word "her" - a reference to the film in which I played Samantha, a chat system who develops an intimate relationship with a human.

Before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, my agent received a message from Mr. Altman, requesting that I reconsider. However, we were unable to connect before the system was made available.

Due to their actions, I was compelled to seek legal representation, who drafted two missives to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, outlining their actions and requesting a detailed explanation of how they developed the "Sky" voice. As a result, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to remove the "Sky" voice.

As we grapple with the challenges of deepfakes and protecting our own likeness, work, and identities, it is crucial that we have absolute clarity on these issues. I eagerly await a resolution through transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to safeguard individual rights.