ChatGPT has a Scarlett Johansson problem
Photo by JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images, Image by Alex Parkin / The Verge
Did you think Sky, the new and newly personable voice of ChatGPT, sounded like Samantha from Her? Not everyone did, but enough people noticed a distinct Scarlett Johansson…ness in the chatbot that it became a story. And then Johansson herself decided that Sky sounded a little too close to home, especially given that she’d turned down offers from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to play Sky herself. We still don’t know all the details of the timeline here, who knew what, what Altman did when Johansson said no, and lots more. But it’s all just weird.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk a lot about what happened here, what it means that everyone immediately assumed the worst from OpenAI, and whether a case like this might actually go anywhere.
But first, we talk Build! Microsoft’s developer conference was this week, right on the heels of its Copilot Plus PC announcement, which is a bad name but a potentially very exciting moment for the Windows world. We try to make sense of the varied reactions to the AI-powered Recall app, the hybrid future of AI, and more. Then it’s ScarJo time.
After all that, we do one of our longest lightning rounds in a while, debating who might buy Humane, the Sonos Ace headphones, that weird Apple bug that resurfaced deleted photos, the Live Nation-Ticketmaster antitrust suit, and more. Also: SALT SPOON.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Build:
Microsoft Build 2024: news and announcements from the developer conference
Microsoft’s big bet on building a new type of AI computer
Recall is Microsoft’s key to unlocking the future of PCs
How does the Microsoft Surface Laptop stack up to the MacBook Air?
Windows now has AI-powered copy and paste
Microsoft Edge will translate and dub YouTube videos as you’re watching them
Microsoft outage took down Copilot, DuckDuckGo, and ChatGPT search features
And on ScarJo vs. ChatGPT:
Scarlett Johansson told OpenAI not to use her voice — and she’s not happy they might have anyway
OpenAI is ‘in conversations’ with Scarlett Johansson over the ChatGPT voice that sounds just like her
OpenAI pulls its Scarlett Johansson-like voice for ChatGPT
Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson
From The Washington Post: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show
From The Atlantic: OpenAI Just Gave Away the Entire Game
And in the lightning round:
Nilay Patel’s pick: The US government is trying to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster
Nilay’s other pick: The Sonos Ace headphones are here, and they’re damn impressive
Alex Cranz’s pick: There’s an electric salt spoon that adds umami flavor
Alex’s other pick: Apple needs to explain that bug that resurfaced deleted photos
David Pierce’s pick: Humane is looking for a buyer after the AI Pin’s underwhelming debut
Photo by JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images, Image by Alex Parkin / The Verge
Did you think Sky, the new and newly personable voice of ChatGPT, sounded like Samantha from Her? Not everyone did, but enough people noticed a distinct Scarlett Johansson…ness in the chatbot that it became a story. And then Johansson herself decided that Sky sounded a little too close to home, especially given that she’d turned down offers from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to play Sky herself. We still don’t know all the details of the timeline here, who knew what, what Altman did when Johansson said no, and lots more. But it’s all just weird.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk a lot about what happened here, what it means that everyone immediately assumed the worst from OpenAI, and whether a case like this might actually go anywhere.
But first, we talk Build! Microsoft’s developer conference was this week, right on the heels of its Copilot Plus PC announcement, which is a bad name but a potentially very exciting moment for the Windows world. We try to make sense of the varied reactions to the AI-powered Recall app, the hybrid future of AI, and more. Then it’s ScarJo time.
After all that, we do one of our longest lightning rounds in a while, debating who might buy Humane, the Sonos Ace headphones, that weird Apple bug that resurfaced deleted photos, the Live Nation-Ticketmaster antitrust suit, and more. Also: SALT SPOON.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with Build:
Microsoft Build 2024: news and announcements from the developer conference
Microsoft’s big bet on building a new type of AI computer
Recall is Microsoft’s key to unlocking the future of PCs
How does the Microsoft Surface Laptop stack up to the MacBook Air?
Windows now has AI-powered copy and paste
Microsoft Edge will translate and dub YouTube videos as you’re watching them
Microsoft outage took down Copilot, DuckDuckGo, and ChatGPT search features
And on ScarJo vs. ChatGPT:
Scarlett Johansson told OpenAI not to use her voice — and she’s not happy they might have anyway
OpenAI is ‘in conversations’ with Scarlett Johansson over the ChatGPT voice that sounds just like her
OpenAI pulls its Scarlett Johansson-like voice for ChatGPT
Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson
From The Washington Post: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show
From The Atlantic: OpenAI Just Gave Away the Entire Game
And in the lightning round:
Nilay Patel’s pick: The US government is trying to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster
Nilay’s other pick: The Sonos Ace headphones are here, and they’re damn impressive
Alex Cranz’s pick: There’s an electric salt spoon that adds umami flavor
Alex’s other pick: Apple needs to explain that bug that resurfaced deleted photos
David Pierce’s pick: Humane is looking for a buyer after the AI Pin’s underwhelming debut