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OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

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Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#281

Post by eschneider »

Havoc wrote: post #272
marcus_holmes wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The actress did impersonate Her though. It's not just a random "voice for your chatbot", it's that particularly breathy, chatty, voice that she performed for the movie. I would agree with you completely if they'd created a completely different voice. Even if they'd impersonated a different famous actress. But it's the fact that Her was about an AI, and this is an AI, and the voices are identical. It's clearly an impe…

> it's that particularly breathy, chatty, voice that she performed for the movie. Good luck proving that in court. “You’re honor our evidence is that the audio clips both sound breathy”

That and repeated, rejected attempts to hire ScarJo to do the voice. I expect they have ample documentation on that.

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#283

Post by [deleted] »

gnicholas wrote: post #216
omnicognate wrote: post #171

Comments full of people reading the headline and assuming that what OpenAI did here is fine because it's a different actress, but that's not how "Right of publicity" (*) laws work. The article itself explains that there is significant legal risk here: > Mitch Glazier, the chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, said that Johansson may have a strong case against OpenAI if she brings forth a l…

The Midler case is readily distinguishable. From Wikipedia: > Ford Motor created an ad campaign for the Mercury Sable that specifically was meant to inspire nostalgic sentiments through the use of famous songs from the 1970s sung by their original artists. When the original artists refused to accept, impersonators were used to sing the original songs for the commercials. Midler was asked to sing a famous song of hers…

[deleted]

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#284

Post by bux93 »

pests wrote: post #103
boxed wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Copying by hiring a sound-alike/impersonator is an implementation detail. They knew full well that they were trying to copy her voice. Then they asked. And they got a no. And then they did it anyway. I don't see how the implementation details matter at all.

It's their natural voice. Are they not allowed to hire a person that sounds like... any famous person? Aren't others in this thread claiming how similar voices can be and theyre not unqiue?

The VA has not been identified, but I bet that she has a showreel in which you can hear at least ten different natural voices that are not at all like SJ's performance in 'her'. A sad read for the local undertaker. A maniacal shouty ad for the monster truck rally. A motherly read for baby formula. Some fun accents. A dramatic read.

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#285

Post by numpad0 »

exitb wrote: post #238
gnicholas wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only similarity between the voice and Johansson’s is that it’s female, so by your logic half of California has a case. My understanding was that the voices sound quite similar. I haven't heard the original Sky voice so don't know. Are there any samples online?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uM8jhcqDP0&t=30s

Wait, what's the music artifact at 0:54? What are they even doing!?

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#286

Post by Topfi »

moralestapia wrote: post #240
gnicholas wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Midler case is readily distinguishable. From Wikipedia: > Ford Motor created an ad campaign for the Mercury Sable that specifically was meant to inspire nostalgic sentiments through the use of famous songs from the 1970s sung by their original artists. When the original artists refused to accept, impersonators were used to sing the original songs for the commercials. Midler was asked to sing a famous song of hers…

>The tweet is still a thorn in OA's side, of course, but that's not likely to be determinative IMO (IAAL). It amounts to nothing as it was a single word and they could spin that any way they want, it's even a generic word, lol. The "worst" interpretation on that tweet could be "we were inspired by said movie to create a relatable product" which is not an unlawful thing to do.

I see this a lot in space like HN focused on hard science and programming — this idea that judgments couldn't possibly consider things like context beyond what has been literally spelled out. To paraphrase a fitting XKCD, they have already thought of that "cool hack" you've just come up with [0].

I lack the knowledge to make a judgment one way or another about whether this will go anywhere, because I know very little about this area of law, more so in the US. However, this idea that tweeting the title of that specific movie in the context of such a product release couldn't possibly be connected to one of those voices having a similar cadence and sound of a specific actor in that same movie they approched beforehand, couldn't have no legal bearing seems naive. Is it that doubtful that a high-priced legal team couldn't bring a solid case, leading to a severe settlement, or more if she wants to create a precedent?

Clichéd Mafia talk is not a foolproof way to prevent conviction in most jurisdictions.

[0] https://xkcd.com/1494/

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#287

Post by bdowling »

XorNot wrote: post #209
jonathankoren wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't matter. Waits v Frito Lay

Which is not as similar as people keep saying though: both that case, and Bette Midler's involved singers, who perform as themselves and are their own brand. Consider when a company recasts a voice actor in something: i.e. the VA Rick and Morty have been replaced, Robin Williams was not the voice of genie in Aladdin 2 or the animated series.

Recasting a voice actor when there was a contract with the prior actor (and such a contract would typically allow for recasting) is one thing.

Copying a famous actor’s voice without any kind of agreement at all is something else.

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#289

Post by CaptainFever »

aaron695 wrote: post #79

You can hear both voices for yourself and tell they are different, but y'all such NPCs you just believe the bullcrap the media spoon-feeds you not the literal sounds in your ears. New theory, HN is a honey pot for dumb people that Y Combinator studies how to make money from. Previous theory it was a Alzheimer's style "Fake bus stop" used to round up imposter hackers and keep them contained while the real Hackers did…

I'm losing faith in Hacker News commenters too. Such an incredible display of lack of critical thinking ("oh, he tweeted Her? Must be because he's trolling ScarJo, not because the movie is literally like the real life product") and bandwagoning over this piece of news, all because HN wants to hate OpenAI.

Not to mention, on the AI Paint thread, there was this heavily upvoted guy saying its servers are paid for by the stock market and tech bubble like some kind of conspiracy theorist, completely ignoring that it's run locally.

I don't know why I keep coming here. I guess it's because I'm addicted. At least on Reddit you could leave subreddits and block people when they get too incomprehensible from your own perspective.

Re: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show

#290

Post by kthartic »

marcus_holmes wrote: post #228
gnicholas wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Midler case is readily distinguishable. From Wikipedia: > Ford Motor created an ad campaign for the Mercury Sable that specifically was meant to inspire nostalgic sentiments through the use of famous songs from the 1970s sung by their original artists. When the original artists refused to accept, impersonators were used to sing the original songs for the commercials. Midler was asked to sing a famous song of hers…

The actress did impersonate Her though. It's not just a random "voice for your chatbot", it's that particularly breathy, chatty, voice that she performed for the movie. I would agree with you completely if they'd created a completely different voice. Even if they'd impersonated a different famous actress. But it's the fact that Her was about an AI, and this is an AI, and the voices are identical. It's clearly an impe…

In the Ford case they hired an impersonator to sing one of her copyrighted songs, so it's clearly an impersonation.

In OpenAI's case the voice only sounds like her (although many disagree) but it isn't repeating some famous line of dialog from one of her movies etc, so you can't really definitively say it's impersonating SJ.

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