A major controversy has erupted in the tech world, placing actress Scarlett Johansson in a dispute with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. The issue centers on a new AI voice, named ‘Sky,’ which was demonstrated by the company and which Johansson and many listeners found to be ‘eerily similar’ to her own voice. This has sparked a serious debate about the rights of individuals, the ethics of AI development, and the use of celebrity likenesses without permission.
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a Voice That Sounds Eerily Familiar
The controversy began when OpenAI showcased the capabilities of its new GPT-4o model, which included a new, highly realistic and emotive voice assistant named Sky. Many people who heard the voice immediately drew comparisons to Scarlett Johansson’s distinctive voice, particularly her role as the AI assistant Samantha in the 2013 film ‘Her.’ The comparison was so widespread that it became a major topic of discussion online.
statement and Legal Action
In a public statement, Scarlett Johansson revealed that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, had approached her months earlier to ask if she would be willing to be the voice of the system. She declined the offer for personal reasons. Johansson stated that she was ‘shocked, angered and in disbelief’ when she heard the demo of the Sky voice, which she felt sounded so much like her that her closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference. She has hired legal counsel and has asked OpenAI to detail the exact process by which they created the voice.
🤖 OpenAI’s Response and the Broader Implications
In response to the controversy, OpenAI has stated that the Sky voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. The company has paused the use of the Sky voice out of respect for Ms. Johansson. This incident has ignited a crucial conversation about the future of AI and personal identity. It raises important questions about how companies can use and create synthetic voices, the need for clear regulations to protect an individual’s likeness, and the ethical responsibilities of AI developers in a rapidly advancing field.
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Yang, Angela. “Scarlett Johansson says she is ‘shocked, angered’ over new ChatGPT voice that sounds ‘eerily similar’ to hers.” NBC News, 20 May 2025, www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/scarlett-johansson-openai-chatgpt-voice-sky-similar-rcna153132.
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