OpenAI disables “Sky”: ChatGPT voice that resembles Scarlett Johansson

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced that it is pausing the use of one of its popular AI voices following observations from users about its striking similarity to the voice of actress Scarlett Johansson.

The company introduced the "voice mode" feature in 2023, allowing users to interact with ChatGPT, a widely used "generative" AI software, through speech. 

This feature also serves as a text-to-speech tool, offering responses in five different voice choices.

While OpenAI clarified that the voice, named Sky, is not Scarlett Johansson's, the company announced a pause in its use to address user inquiries regarding its voice selection and sampling process for ChatGPT.

"We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them," the company stated on X (formerly Twitter).

In a blog post on Sunday night, OpenAI explained its process for creating various voices, reaffirming that the Sky voice is not Scarlett Johansson's.

"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," the company stated in the blog post.

Scarlett Johansson revealed that OpenAI had approached her in the past to use her voice for their AI, but she declined for personal reasons. She was later shocked to discover that the "Sky" voice in ChatGPT 4.0 resembled her own voice. 

This discovery prompted her to take legal action, seeking transparency and protection of individual rights and likeness. This has led to speculation about whether the voice's removal was initiated by the lawsuit.