In his first public comments regarding the controversy surrounding Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI‘s AI voice “Sky,” Sam Altman offered a lukewarm denial. The incident has reignited discussions about the ethics of voice cloning in the age of artificial intelligence.

Altman, CEO of OpenAI, a research company focused on artificial intelligence, was interviewed by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic at the AI for Good Summit. When questioned by Thompson about Johansson’s concerns regarding a voice in OpenAI’s ChatGPT system sounding remarkably similar to hers, Altman offered a curt dismissal.

“It’s not her voice, it’s not supposed to be,” Altman stated. He acknowledged the confusion but offered no explanation for the resemblance, adding, “People are going to have different opinions about how much voices sound alike, but we don’t. It’s not her voice.” Altman concluded his remarks with a dismissive, “I’m not sure what else to say,” effectively shutting down further discussion on the topic.

The controversy erupted after OpenAI unveiled a voice function for their ChatGPT program. One of the voices, named “Sky,” bore an uncanny resemblance to Scarlett Johansson’s voice. OpenAI subsequently removed the voice from the program.

Johansson later issued a detailed statement revealing that Altman had been attempting to recruit her to voice the project since late 2023. According to Johansson, Altman contacted her agent just days before the OpenAI demo.

“He expressed his belief that by lending my voice to the system, I could bridge the gap between technology companies and creatives,” Johansson shared in her statement. “He felt my voice would be comforting to people.” Johansson ultimately declined the offer for personal reasons. However, nine months later, the public, including Johansson’s family and friends, noted the striking similarity between Sky’s voice and her own.

Further fueling the controversy was a tweet by Altman during the demo that simply read “her,” seemingly referencing the 2013 Spike Jonze film “Her,” in which Johansson voiced Samantha, a sentient AI operating system.

OpenAI maintains that they began the voice casting process for their AI assistants in 2023 and hired a different actress to voice Sky. However, Johansson’s claims and the undeniable vocal similarities raise questions about transparency and potential copyright infringement.

This incident highlights the growing tension between the burgeoning field of generative AI and the entertainment industry. Voice actors are increasingly filing lawsuits over the unauthorized use of their voices, and unions like SAG-AFTRA are lobbying for legislation that would solidify rights regarding voice and likeness in the digital age.