'Could be Marvel villain': Scarlett Johansson on OpenAI's Sam Altman
A few months ago, Scarlett Johansson publicly criticized artificial intelligence firm OpenAI and its deepfake technology. The dispute arose after the company allegedly used her voice for its ChatGPT system Sky without her consent. The controversy was sparked by a tweet from OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, which led to speculation that Johansson's voice had been utilized in Sky's development. Now, Johansson has revisited the dispute, saying, "I have actively avoided being a part of the [AI] conversation."
Context: Johansson's legal action and OpenAI's response
In September 2023, Altman had approached Johansson to lend her voice to Sky, inspired by her role in the film Her. However, she declined due to "personal reasons." Following the release of Sky in May 2024 and Altman's ambiguous tweet that simply said "her," Johansson instructed her lawyers to contact OpenAI to remove the voice from Sky. In response, OpenAI removed it but insisted it was not an imitation of Johansson's but belonged to another professional actor.
Altman's apology and Johansson's concerns over deepfake technology
Altman later clarified that the actor voicing Sky was hired before he approached Johansson and apologized for any misunderstanding. He also stated that they had paused Sky "out of respect for" Johansson. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Johansson described deepfake technology as a "dark wormhole you can never climb your way out of." When asked if Altman can be an MCU villain, she said, "I guess he would - maybe with a robotic arm."
'I was so angry': Johansson
Further speaking about the perils of technology, the Black Widow actor said, "It was so disturbing. I was like, 'How did I get wrapped up in this?' It was crazy. I was so angry." "I think technologies move faster than our fragile human egos can process it, and you see the effects all over. This technology is coming like a thousand-foot wave."
The actor got swept up in controversy against her will
Further expressing her anger, she said, "I did not want to be at the forefront of that. I just felt it went against my core values. I don't like to kiss and tell." "He came to me with this and I didn't tell anybody except my husband...I also felt for my children it would be strange. I try to be mindful of them." "Once you try to take something down in one area, it pops up somewhere else."
Johansson's previous legal battle with Disney
This public dispute with OpenAI comes three years after Johansson's legal battle with Disney over the release of Black Widow. She claimed her contract stipulated an exclusive theatre release for the film and argued that Disney's hybrid release would impact her compensation. The dispute was eventually settled, with Disney reportedly paying Johansson over S$40M. Reflecting on this, Johansson said, "I don't hold a grudge [against Disney]. I think it was just poor judgment and poor leadership at that time."
