OpenAI Apologizes To Popular Actress For Using Her Voice,

OpenAI was forced to apologize to actor Scarlett Johansson last week for using her voice – or something very similar – on its latest chatbot, throwing the spotlight onto voice-cloning technology.

Although OpenAI denied using Johansson’s actual voice, their case was complicated by CEO Sam Altman’s one-word social media post: “Her.” 

Johansson voiced an AI character in the film “Her,” which Altman has previously praised as his favorite film about technology.

AI voice cloning has been controversial from the start. 

Last year, British firm Elevenlabs faced backlash when its voice-cloning software was used to create deepfake celebrity voices, including Emma Watson reading Hitler’s Mein Kampf. 

Law enforcement has warned that AI clones could be used for extortion over the phone.

The technology has advanced rapidly, becoming more realistic and nuanced. Danish entrepreneur Victor Riparbelli, CEO of British AI firm Synthesia, attributes much of the progress to a program called Tortoise, released two years ago. 

The program’s developers used thousands of hours of voice data to train their model, resulting in significant advancements.

Tortoise was an open-source program, and Elevenlabs was the first to commercialize it. OpenAI uses similar systems but has not disclosed details.

The controversy around voice cloning often centers on misuse, but the case against OpenAI is unusual as it involves the company itself. “It was very unfortunate that OpenAI did that,” said Katya Laine, CEO of TALKR.ai. 

Riparbelli added that using Johansson’s voice without her consent would be "very, very bad."Laine and Riparbelli are among many entrepreneurs using AI voice programs to enhance business efficiency.

 Laine’s firm offers virtual voice assistants that can handle a significant portion of customer service calls autonomously.

 Synthesia specializes in video avatars, allowing users to create videos with realistic AI performances.

Both companies allow clients to use custom avatars or those provided by firms like OpenAI and Elevenlabs. 

Riparbelli said Synthesia licenses actors’ voices and likenesses for two years with an option to renew. 

Problems arise when voices are used without consent.

The incident overshadowed OpenAI’s developer conference in Paris, where new tools were demonstrated.

 Despite the controversy, Riparbelli acknowledged OpenAI’s argument that they used a voice actor who merely sounded like Johansson, raising questions about the boundaries of voice cloning.

The Washington Post and other commentators criticized OpenAI, questioning the company’s judgment and practices.