Scarlett Johansson vs. OpenAI: A Battle for Voice Identity and the Emergence of a New Folk Hero

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Angela Cutterwater

Scarlett Johansson's Dispute with OpenAI Elevates Her to an Unexpected Heroic Status

In a memorable scene from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically during the early moments of "The Avengers" in 2012, Black Widow cements her status as a champion for fans everywhere. Captured in a scene, she is restrained in a chair when Agent Coulson rings her up, passing the phone through an unremarkable military officer who had been interrogating her. Coulson informs her that S.H.I.E.L.D. demands her immediate extraction from her current mission. Demonstrating her prowess, she swiftly incapacitates her captor with a kick, demolishes the chair binding her, neutralizes three adversaries, retrieves her footwear, and makes her exit.

The Avengers achieved a worldwide gross of $1.5 billion and propelled its cast to higher levels of fame, even those who were already well-known. Among them, Scarlett Johansson's character, Black Widow—a member of the Avengers who lacks both financial resources and any superhuman abilities, aside from her training in the Red Room—was one of the last to receive her own standalone film or series. Released during the summer of 2021, Black Widow was available both in cinemas and on Disney+, a decision motivated by the ongoing concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on cinema attendance. Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney, alleging that releasing the film on their streaming platform simultaneously with its theatrical debut negatively impacted its earnings potential.

Johansson and Disney reached a resolution in their legal dispute, with the specifics of the agreement remaining confidential. This resolution highlighted Johansson's commitment to stand up for the value of her contributions, regardless of whether she was confronting Disney, which had compensated her with $20 million for her role in the film, or taking on OpenAI for its recent release of the ChatGPT conversational interface. Johansson has accused the AI's generated voice, named Sky, of mimicking her own voice so closely that even her personal acquaintances and media outlets were unable to distinguish between the two. OpenAI's leader, Sam Altman, countered by stating that Sky's voice was never designed to imitate Johansson's. Legal experts suggest that Johansson could potentially have a strong legal argument if she decides to pursue litigation.

After Johansson criticized OpenAI, the majority of public sentiment has rallied around her. Essentially, people have aligned themselves against Altman. On platforms like X and through media coverage, commentators have observed that OpenAI's behavior has revealed its true intentions. They argue that by initially inviting Johansson to participate and then moving forward with a similar project after she refused, Altman was essentially "revealing his true character." In a short period, Johansson emerged as a symbol of defiance, akin to this era's Ned Ludd. Anyone who has ever been concerned about AI monitoring their social media or viewing their content now had a figurehead to stand behind.

"Kyle Chayka expressed in The New Yorker that, in a sense, we all share a connection with Scarlett Johansson, finding ourselves face to face with a strange likeness of who we are, crafted without our consent and offering us no advantages."

It's an intriguing contradiction that Scarlett Johansson's voice is sought after for an AI assistant precisely because she portrayed one in Spike Jonze’s film "Her." Brian Barrett, a colleague, recently highlighted that this desire somewhat misses the point of the movie. Nevertheless, it's undeniable that both technology leaders and the general public (essentially everyone) feel a kind of one-sided bond with Johansson due to her unique talents, which remain beyond AI's reach. Now, her fans are connecting with her on an entirely new level as she openly challenges the advance of AI, a move that stands out even more than the numerous legal battles initiated by artists and authors.

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Identity can be quite complex. The rise of the internet has allowed individuals to shape their identities in countless changeable forms, all of which now seem exposed to machine learning. As an actress, Johansson's identity is highly public yet immensely valuable. She, like everyone, aims to safeguard her creation. “At a moment when we're all confronting the challenges of deepfakes and safeguarding our images, our creations, our very selves,” she stated publicly this week. “I think these issues need to be addressed with utmost certainty.”

The Monitor serves as a weekly roundup that covers all the latest in the realm of WIRED's cultural scene, spanning from cinematic releases to viral memes, television updates to trending tweets.

Johansson's clash with OpenAI is not her first instance of resistance. Previously, she initiated a lawsuit against an AI application accused of utilizing her image for promotional purposes. Additionally, she is part of the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. This organization dedicated a significant portion of the previous year advocating for regulations to prevent the use of AI in creating performances without the consent of the involved actors. Looking back, it's somewhat surprising that Altman and OpenAI would consider her as a potential voice for a chatbot. It seems pride may have clouded their judgment. It's also worth mentioning that a recent investigation by The Washington Post revealed that OpenAI had sought a nonunion actress for the Sky voice role several months before reaching out to Johansson.

OpenAI's latest creation, GPT-4o, aims to transcend the typical chatbot role. As highlighted by my fellow journalist, Will Knight, in his coverage of the demonstration presented by the company a fortnight ago—a demo that caused concern for Johansson—the model is capable of adjusting its conversational emotional tone, occasionally giving the impression it possesses its own feelings. Such characteristics, as pointed out by Chayka, are reminiscent of the functionality seen in AI companion startups such as Replika or Character.AI, yet with the added assurance of providing trustworthy information.

The phenomenon known as the ELIZA Effect refers to the human-like attributes we assign to technology (a quick Google search will leave you astounded), and it's taken to extremes. In the movie Her, the lead character, Theodore, only comes to understand the extent of his anthropomorphizing of his AI partner, Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, when she decides to leave him. This departure highlights how much this perception prevented him from establishing genuine human relationships. Johansson's voice lends a significant impact to the film, embodying a character that lacks personal autonomy until it—under the insistence of my editors, I must refer to Samantha as "it"—asserts independence by leaving. This action might be what Johansson is emphasizing to us all now. The question remains, who will follow in her footsteps?

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