Actress Scarlett Johansson may sue Sam Altman’s OpenAI over the company’s latest AI voice assistant, Sky, sounding extremely similar to her. OpenAI unveiled the demos of GPT-4.0 powered ChatGPT, showcasing the conversational AI voice assistance of the new interface. Since then, observers have noted that Sky’s voice bears uncanny similarities to the disembodied AI character played by Scarlett Johansson in the movie ‘Her.’

The acclaimed star revealed in a personal claim that OpenAI had reached out to her to use her voice for ChatGPT. However, after careful deliberation, she refused. Furthermore, Johansson said that Altman reached out to her team again days before the demo, asking her to reconsider her decision.

In a statement to Variety, the ‘Black Widow’ star claimed, “Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system… After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family, and the general public all noted how much the newest system named ‘Sky’ sounded like me.”

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The company further insinuated the usage of Johansson’s voice when Altman tweeted a single word, ‘her,’ on May 13, likely referencing Johansson’s film ‘Her.’ The demo also featured several references to her film.

The demo shocked Johansson, forcing her to hire legal counsel. She sent two letters to OpenAI and Sam Altman asking them to reveal the detailed process of creating the voice of their new AI assistant, Sky. In response, OpenAI took down the voice, citing respect for Johansson and apologizing for miscommunication and misunderstanding. Juniper has now replaced Sky.

In a blog post, OpenAI underscored the process used to create the voice. The post read, “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.” It claims that Sky wasn’t meant to mimic Johansson’s voice and that the voice artist behind Sky was finalized prior to their contact with Johansson.

Scarlett Johansson’s case isn’t the first of artists versus OpenAI. The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits over alleged unauthorized usage of copyrighted materials. The company has attracted legal actions from several artists and institutions, including The New York Times and George R.R. Martin.

Closing her statement, Johansson expressed, “In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”