OpenAI has released a new version of GPT-4 and promised to remove the voice resembling Scarlett Johansson

The company OpenAI has officially released the improved chatbot GPT-4o. The new language model works faster than its predecessors and simultaneously supports text, audio, and images. The chatbot can be tried for free on the official website.

Shortly after the release, OpenAI also announced that it plans to remove the voice of Sky, which is too similar to the voice of Scarlett Johansson. The company allegedly intentionally copied the actress's speech due to her role as the voice assistant Samantha in the movie «Her.»

Johansson stated that it was her lawyers who achieved the removal of the voice. It turned out that OpenAI head Sam Altman had asked the actress to voice the chatbot last year, but she refused. Moreover, a couple of days before the presentation of GPT-4o, Altman contacted Johansson again, hoping she had changed her mind.

In response, OpenAI stated that it did not intend to release a voice-over copying the voice of the Hollywood star. «Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky's voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn't communicate better,» representatives said.