Scarlett Johansson speaks out about clash with OpenAI

Actress and producer Scarlett Johansson says her clash with artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI highlights how “vulnerable” people are to misuse of the technology.

Speaking at the release of her new film Fly Me To The Moon, Johansson said: “We’re all waiting and supporting the passing of legislation to protect everybody’s individual rights.

“This highlights how vulnerable everybody is to [AI] and how little protection people do have – if any – of their work in their likeness,” she said.

In May, Johansson said she was “shocked” and “angered” after OpenAI allegedly recreated her voice without her consent for a new ChatGPT system.

The actress criticised the company’s chief executive Sam Altman for insinuating she was the voice named ‘Sky’ by posting the word “her” on X, a reference to a film in which she voices an AI with which a human falls in love.

Mr Altman approached the 39-year-old Oscar nominee to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system last September but Johansson declined for personal reasons, she said in a statement.

OpenAI paused the use of the ChatGPT voice, saying: “We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky.

“We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.”

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Just over a week later, Mr Altman told a UN AI conference: “It’s not her voice. It’s not supposed to be. I’m sorry for the confusion. Clearly, you think it is.”

Actor Channing Tatum, who stars alongside Johansson in Fly Me To The Moon, said he worries about the impact AI is going to have on people’s livelihoods.

“So many people are going to lose their jobs just to an AI that can do so much,” he told reporters.

“I just can’t believe that’s not even a bigger story than it is right now.”