“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman who wanted to hire me to provide voice for the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that by giving the computer a voice, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creators, and help consumers feel comfortable with the seismic shift around humans and AI. “I feel my voice will be a comfort to people,” he said.
After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the public all raved about how much the new system “Sky” sounded like to me.
When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angry and incredulous that Mr. Altman’s voice sounded so similar to mine that my close friends and news outlets couldn’t tell the difference. Mr. Altman deliberately evoked this similarity, tweeting the single word “she” — a reference to the film in which I voiced Samantha, a chat system that forms an intimate relationship with a man.
Two days before the release of the ChatGPT 4.0 demo, Mr. Altman contacted my agent and asked me to reconsider. Before we connected, the computer was out.
As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, Mr. Wrote two letters to Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to describe the exact process that produced the “Sky” voice. As a result, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to remove the “Sky” voice.
At a time when we all struggle with deepfakes and the security of our own image, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve thorough clarity. I look forward to a resolution in the form of transparency and appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.
