OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show
Records obtained by the Washington Post indicate OpenAI’s “Sky” voice for ChatGPT was recorded by a different actress months before Scarlett Johansson was approached, contradicting claims that her voice was directly copied. Commenters focus less on the technical origin of the voice and more on intent and optics: prior outreach to Johansson, references to the film *Her*, and legal precedents on “right of publicity” may still leave OpenAI exposed even if no audio was cloned. The exchange broadens into concerns about voice and likeness rights in the age of AI, the vulnerability of working voice actors, and the pattern of tech companies pushing legal and ethical boundaries, then retreating under public pressure.
Timeline and Washington Post Findings
- WaPo reports the “Sky” actress was cast and recorded months before OpenAI first contacted Scarlett Johansson.
- Casting call sought non‑union actors; multiple sources say neither Johansson nor Her were mentioned to the actress.
- The actress (via her agent) says Sky is her natural voice and she’d never been compared to Johansson before this controversy.
- Many see this as undercutting the specific allegation that OpenAI trained directly on Johansson’s voice or hired an explicit impersonator; others suspect “parallel construction” to cover a prior intent.
Similarity of the Voice
- Some listeners say they immediately thought of Johansson in Her during the demo; others insist Sky sounds clearly different (more like a generic US “valley girl” or like other actresses).
- Several note strong priming effects: once Her and Johansson were invoked (including by tweets), people may “hear” a stronger resemblance than is there.
Legal Questions: Right of Publicity
- Large subthread on personality/right‑of‑publicity law vs copyright.
- Precedents cited: Bette Midler and Tom Waits winning suits over sound‑alike ads; Vanna White and Crispin Glover likeness cases.
- One side: contacting Johansson twice, then using a similar voice and referencing Her shows intent to trade on her likeness; likely strong civil case and probable settlement.
- Other side: Sky is a different human using her own voice; similarity plus a vague movie tweet is not enough, and banning similar‑sounding actors would be absurd and unfair.
Ethics, Trust, and PR
- Repeated complaints that OpenAI and its CEO have a pattern of “ethically murky but technically legal” behavior and poor transparency, so they don’t get benefit of the doubt.
- Others argue internet mobs ignore exculpatory facts and that hate for big AI/Altman is driving confirmation bias.
- Debate on why Sky was pulled: some see it as near‑admission of guilt; others as PR containment or “respect” while facts are clarified.
- A minority speculate the controversy is a deliberate “no bad publicity” marketing play.
Impact on Voices, AI, and Work
- Heated discussion on whether voices are truly unique and what it means to “own” a voice or performance style.
- Voice actors in the thread express fear that AI plus weak legal protections will destroy their livelihoods.
- Counter‑view: imitative styles are normal in art; over‑protecting celebrity likeness will stifle innovation and unfairly constrain non‑famous actors who happen to sound similar.