Scarlett Johansson turned down the job at OpenAI because it would be "unusual" for her children and conflict with her "core principles."

OpenAI's chatbot was accused of imitating Johansson's voice after she declined an offer to voice it.

Scarlett Johansson turned down the job at OpenAI because it would be "unusual" for her children and conflict with her "core principles."
Scarlett Johansson turned down the job at OpenAI because it would be "unusual" for her children and conflict with her "core principles."

Scarlett Johansson has revealed the reasons behind her decision to decline the role of voicing OpenAI's chatbot.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, contacted the 39-year-old actress to discuss the possibility of her voicing the ChatGPT 4.0 system.

In an interview with The New York Times, Samantha's voice actor, Scarlett Johansson, revealed that she declined the role of the virtual assistant in "Her" when director Woody Allen approached her, saying, "No, thank you. Not for me."

"According to the Times, Johansson stated that he did not want to be at the forefront of that because it contradicted his core values."

closeup of scarlett johansson
Scarlett Johansson is speaking out about turning down voicing OpenAI's chatbot. (Paolo Blocco/FilmMagic)

Her decision to refuse the project was influenced by worries about how her children would react.

Scarlett Johansson, who stars in "The Avengers," has a daughter, 9, with ex-husband Romain Dauriac, 42, and a son, 2, with husband Colin Jost, 42.

Johansson revealed that she didn't disclose the job proposal from Altman to anyone except her husband.

"She added, "I also felt it would be strange for my children," while trying to be mindful of them."

Planet Chronicle Digital has reached out to representatives for OpenAI for comment.

Johnasson expressed her apprehension about AI, which she characterized as "vague," and the uncertainty surrounding its future consequences.

Colin Jost, Scarlett Johansson red carpet
Johansson said she only told husband Colin Jost about the job offer. (Getty Images)

In May, OpenAI introduced its ChatGPT, featuring a voice named "Sky," which closely resembled the voice of Johansson.

On the day the technology was launched, Altman posted "her" on X, which was previously known as Twitter.

Johansson later stated that he was shocked, angered, and in disbelief when he heard the released demo, as it sounded eerily similar to his voice and even his closest friends and news outlets could not differentiate between the two.

Johansson stated that Mr. Altman suggested the resemblance was deliberate, tweeting the word "her," which alludes to the film where she played Samantha, a chat system who develops an intimate bond with a human.

Scarlett Johansson in 2023 in New York
The actress said taking on the gig would have been "strange" for her children. (Arturo Holmes/WireImage)

When "that voice" was introduced to the public, it was surreal for Johansson. He suddenly began receiving numerous messages.

I had purposely stayed away from the conversation, which made it even more unsettling," she remarked. "I was thinking, 'How did I end up getting involved in this?'

"It was crazy. I was so angry."

In her May statement, Johansson stated that her legal team had sent the tech company two letters requesting an explanation of how they developed the personal assistant's voice in their AI technology.

Scarlett Johansson in a white dress
Johansson shared her concerns about deepfake technology. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Altman later issued a statement to FOX Business regarding Sky's voice.

Sky's voice is not Scarlett Johansson's, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. 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.

During an interview with the Times, Johansson voiced worries about the use of deepfake technology and the absence of laws governing its application.

The two-time Academy Award nominee stated, "It's like being trapped in a never-ending black hole."

"If you attempt to remove something in one location, it reappears in another. Different countries have distinct laws and regulations. If your former partner is spreading revenge porn or deepfakes, your entire life can be destroyed."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Janelle Ash contributed to this report.

by Ashley Hume

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