Sky's removal was announced only a week following OpenAI's introduction of multiple new audio voices for ChatGPT, in conjunction with the launch of their latest AI model, GPT-4o, and a desktop variant of the chatbot.

This action coincided with the departure of several senior members of OpenAI's safety team, including key researcher Jan Leike, who criticised the company for prioritising "shiny products" over safety concerns. In response, Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman defended OpenAI's safety protocols, affirming their commitment to not releasing unsafe products.

During a live demo showcasing ChatGPT's audio features, many users took to social media to comment on Sky's uncanny resemblance to Johansson's voice in the movie. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at the similarity with a cryptic post on X that simply said, "her."

In a blog post on Sunday, OpenAI elaborated that the voices, including Sky, were selected through a rigorous five-month casting and recording process. The process began with about 400 submissions from voice and screen actors, which were then narrowed down to 14, and finally, the internal team chose the five voices: Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper, and Sky.

OpenAI states in a blogpost, "Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents."

In the coming weeks, OpenAI plans to test voice mode, offering early access to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. They also intend to introduce new voices.

Founded in 2015, OpenAI has reached a valuation exceeding $80 billion. It's under significant pressure to lead the generative AI market while monetising its technology amid high expenditure on processors and infrastructure for model training.

OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are leading the generative AI boom, with companies across various sectors striving to integrate AI-powered chatbots and agents to stay competitive. Earlier this month, OpenAI competitor Anthropic launched its first enterprise product and a free iPhone app.

ChatGPT voice

OpenAI takes down ChatGPT voice for striking resemblance to Scarlett Johansson