On Monday, it was revealed by OpenAI that it would cease the deployment of a ChatGPT voice that actress Scarlett Johansson stated sounded like her. On X which used to be called twitter, the company announced that it was trying to “temporarily suspend” Sky, which is one of the five Voices that ChatGPT can apply to. However, it is imperative to understand how OpenAI chooses these realistic audio options, especially Sky.
Johansson Raises Concerns
Among them, actress Scarlett Johansson, who voiced an artificial intelligence character in the 2013 movie “Her,” also shared her concerns. She said that OpenAI’s head, Sam Altman, contacted her in September with an offer to use her voice in the system. Johansson rejected the offer, but she was surprised to listen to the released demo. She discovered that the voice sounded like her own and her friends could barely distinguish her from the imitator.
Legal Action Taken
Johansson sought the services of lawyers who penned a letter to Altman asking him how the company had developed the voice. After this, OpenAI promised to remove the Sky voice. The company stated that the Sky voice was performed by a different voice actress and the company never sought to imitate Johansson.
OpenAI’s Clarification
OpenAI dispelled some common misconceptions about Johansson in a blog post. They said that AI voices should not attempt to reproduce a celebrity’s distinct voice intentionally. Before contacting Johansson, OpenAI selected the voice actor for Sky. Altman apologized, saying they stopped using Sky’s voice to be insensitive to Johansson.
Introduction of Voice Capabilities
Voice capabilities for ChatGPT were launched by OpenAI in September, enabling users to engage in a real-time dialogue with the AI assistant. First rolled out for premium users, the feature was made available for all with the mobile app in November.
Advancements in AI Interaction
The prior release, known as GPT-4o, improves ChatGPT’s verbal output and understands tone and mood. During the demonstrations, the AI bot speaks with the subjects in real-time, incorporating emotions such as ‘more drama’ into the conversation. It could also guess feelings from selfie videos, translate languages, explain simple mathematical problems, etc.
GPT-4o Rollout
GPT-4o, also known as ‘‘omni”, is slated to be released to those who wish to use it gradually. While the other two including text and image are available from time to time with this update, the voice mode is still only accessible to paid customers of ChatGPT Plus.
Gendered Criticism
It has been pointed out that AI voice assistants have been developed and implemented with the gender of the voice being an important factor. Some critics have noted that gendered speech patterns create situations in which female-voiced assistants are inclined to be obedient, like Sky. This continuous problem suggests a need for developing awareness with regard to the development of AI technologies.
READ: NARENDRA MODI HONORS FORMER PM RAJIV GANDHI ON HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY.
[…] Scarlett Johansson Finds ChatGPT Voice ‘Eerily Similar’ to Hers […]