OpenAI pulls Johansson soundalike Sky’s voice from ChatGPT

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived similarity to Johansson and Her

  • Many listeners initially assumed OpenAI had licensed Scarlett Johansson’s Her voice; others hear only a generic “slightly flirty female” assistant.
  • Several link demos and movie clips; reactions split between “extremely similar,” “somewhat similar,” and “not at all.”
  • Some think it sounds closer to another actress; others say once Her is suggested, people “hear” the resemblance due to framing.

Legal and likeness questions

  • Debate over whether voice similarity is a trademark vs. “appropriation of likeness” issue.
  • Some argue celebrities control commercial use of their likeness/voice and can use litigation and discovery to force transparency.
  • Others worry that requiring permission for any similar-sounding voice would harm lesser-known actors or people recreating their own voices for accessibility.
  • Several speculate OpenAI likely received a legal threat and chose to pause Sky rather than fight.

User experience and product stability

  • Some paying users are upset Sky was their only tolerable voice and see its removal as “breaking functionality” and eroding trust.
  • Others respond that SaaS products routinely change features; if you want control, run local software.

Marketing, intent, and PR

  • Many believe the Her association was intentional: references on social media, profile imagery, and the flirtatious tone are cited.
  • A minority sees the pullback as largely media- or PR-driven rather than user-driven.
  • Some see the incident as another example of “take first, apologize later” behavior by AI companies.

Gender, flirtation, and tone

  • A number of comments focus less on Johansson and more on Sky’s breathy, flirtatious style, calling it cringeworthy or misogynistic.
  • Others report Sky sounded “neutrally approachable” in actual use and not notably seductive.

Broader critiques of OpenAI and generative AI

  • Several express disillusionment with OpenAI’s evolution from stated nonprofit ideals to profit- and hype-driven behavior.
  • Others defend generative AI as transformative and view celebrity pushback as self-interested or hostile to technological progress.