Scarlett Johansson Outraged Over AI Voice Double, Conveniently Forgetting Her Own Role in ‘Her’

Scarlett Johansson Outraged Over AI Voice Double, Conveniently Forgetting Her Own Role in ‘Her’

In a shocking turn of events, actress Scarlett Johansson has expressed outrage over an AI assistant created by OpenAI that sounds “eerily similar” to her distinctive voice. The virtual assistant, named “Sky”, was set to launch as part of OpenAI’s latest product until Johansson lawyered up, claiming the company had no right to replicate her sultry tones without permission.

Pot, Meet Kettle: The Irony of Johansson’s Complaint

The irony seems lost on Johansson, who famously portrayed an AI assistant in the 2013 Spike Jonze film “Her”. In the movie, Johansson voiced Samantha, an intelligent computer operating system who enters into a romantic relationship with a human. But apparently life imitating art is only acceptable when there’s an acting paycheck involved.

OpenAI Backpedals After Celebrity Backlash

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly reached out to Johansson twice to get her blessing to use a “Scarlett Johansson AI voice” for their project, but was rebuffed. In a statement, the company claimed “Sky” was voiced by a different actress and not meant to be an imitation of Johansson. They have now scrapped the “Sky” voice altogether to appease the angry starlet.

The Race to Create Realistic AI Companions

This incident highlights the growing trend of tech companies rushing to create eerily realistic AI companions, often without considering the ethical implications. From virtual assistants to AI-generated art, the race is on to blur the lines between artificial and authentic. But at what point does imitation cross the line into infringement?

Tech Mogul Dismisses Johansson’s Concerns

According to PISR founder Elongated Muskrat, “I think it’s flattering to have your voice immortalized in AI form. I’d be honored if a company wanted my dulcet tones to soothe the lonely hearts of humans worldwide. Scarlett should consider it a compliment!” Easy for a billionaire to say.

A Dystopian Future of Celebrity Voice Theft?

One can only imagine a dystopian future in which AI voices are indistinguishable from human ones, and companies brazenly replicate the voices of celebrities far and wide. Perhaps Johansson should be careful what she wishes for, lest she find herself out of a job to her own robotic doppelgangers.

In light of this controversy, maybe it’s time for Johansson to revisit her role in “Her” and reevaluate the deeper message. As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, we’ll need to have some difficult conversations about the ethical boundaries of replicating human traits in machines. In the meantime, celebrities had better start trademarking their voices before Big Tech beats them to the punch!