OpenAI temporarily mutes system voice after Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson claims misuse

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00:00 Good morning, Theodore.

00:01 Good morning.

00:02 You have a meeting in five minutes.

00:04 In the 2013 film Her, Scarlett Johansson is the voice of an AI system that seduces a lonely

00:11 introvert played by Joaquin Phoenix.

00:14 In a case of life imitating art, Johansson says over the weekend she was taken aback

00:19 when open AI unveiled the voice of its new assistant.

00:23 Going by the name Sky, it sounded very much like Her.

00:27 Hey, Chachibiti.

00:28 How are you doing?

00:29 I'm doing fantastic.

00:31 Thanks for asking.

00:32 How about you?

00:33 Johansson says she was surprised because Open AI's chief executive, Sam Altman, had approached

00:39 her agent to ask that she consider licensing her voice for a virtual assistant, an offer

00:44 she ultimately refused twice.

00:47 In a statement, Johansson wrote, "When I heard the release demo, I was shocked, angered,

00:52 and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to

00:57 mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference."

01:00 For his part, Altman said in a statement that Sky's voice belonged to another professional

01:06 actress and that it was never intended to resemble Johansson's, a claim which appeared

01:12 to be undermined by Altman himself, who posted the single word "Her" on his ex-account last

01:17 week, an apparent nod to the 2013 film.

01:22 Altman went on to say that Sky's voice had been paused out of respect for Johansson.

01:27 The actress is just the latest artist to accuse Open AI of stealing creative work without

01:32 permission.

01:33 The company has faced copyright lawsuits from animators, journalists, and others, most recently

01:38 sued by the Authors Guild of America and the New York Times.

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