OpenAI To Pause Use Of Sky's Voice That Sounds Like Scarlett Johansson; Here's What ChatGPT Maker Said

AI research and deployment firm OpenAI has said it is working to restrict the use of 'Sky' voice in ChatGPT's Voice Mode. The update comes after questions from users who observed that it sounds similar to Scarlett Johansson, the actress who played a fictional AI voice assistant in Her. The plot of the movie revolves around a man who develops a relationship with the AI assistant.

The company noted the voice was not an "imitation" of the actress. For context, Sky is one of the five voices available in ChatGPT's Voice Mode. According to OpenAI, these five voices were chosen after careful examination via a process that spanned over five months and involved professional artists, industry leaders, and more. The company introduced the option to allow users to interact with ChatGPT in September 2023.

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The voices include Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky. "We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic 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 speaking voice. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents," OpenAI said.

We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.

Read more about how we chose these voices: https://t.co/R8wwZjU36L

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 20, 2024

As per the company, these five voices were selected from over 400 submissions that the company received. These actors recorded a script of ChatGPT's responses. The selected actors flew to San Francisco for recording sessions in June and July. The feature was launched on September 25, 2023.

Also Read: OpenAI's 'Voice Engine' Takes Only 15-Sec Audio Sample To Generate Realistic Replica Of Human Voice; Details Here

OpenAI said the company plans to give access to "new Voice Mode for GPT-4o in alpha to ChatGPT Plus users in the coming weeks". Using the voice mode in the upgraded LLM, the ChatGPT experience can feel more natural. In the future, OpenAI said users can expect more options as the company plans to launch additional voices in ChatGPT.