OpenAI: ScarJo voice isn’t ScarJo, but we’ll mute her anyway

OpenAI says its Scarlett Johansson-sounding Sky voice is actually a “different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice” but it won’t say who to “protect their privacy.” It also said today it’s “working to pause the use of Sky” while it addresses questions about how the voice was chosen.

In a blog post yesterday, the company explained that it winnowed down the five voices it uses in ChatGPT from more than 400 submissions from voice and screen actors. It considered a number of criteria, including actors from diverse background whose voice “feels timeless,” “inspires trust” and is “natural and easy to listen to.”

The AI company said its chatbot voices come from actors who received “above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products.”

This isn't the only case of apparent AI voice theft, with two voice actors suing start-up Lovo for illegally using their recordings.