Re: Scarlett Johansson's Battle With OpenAI

On 5/26/24 2:44 PM, BTR1701 wrote:

In article <v2vg2l$3eegh$2@dont-email.me>, FPP <fredp1571@gmail.com>
wrote:
>

On 5/25/24 11:35 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

FPP <fredp1571@gmail.com> wrote:

On 5/24/24 10:26 PM, BTR1701 wrote:

>

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/ar-BB1mWLqa
>
Scarlett Johansson's powerful Hollywood agent, Bryan Lourd, wanted
answers when he made an urgent call to Sam Altman last week: What do
you think you're doing?
>
Altman's artificial intelligence powerhouse, OpenAI, had for months
unsuccessfully courted Johansson, who memorably voiced an AI assistant
in the 2013 film HER. Last September, Johansson turned down an offer
to work with OpenAI and voice a new assistant feature.
>
Altman didn't give up. In mid-May, he texted Lourd, co-chairman of
Creative Artists Agency, asking if Johansson might reconsider-- he
wanted to show the actress something he'd been working on, people
familiar with the interaction said. The camps couldn't settle on a
time to meet. Then on May 13, OpenAI showcased an updated AI system,
equipped with new voice assistants for its Chat GPT tool, including a
female named Sky.
>
Johansson was surprised and angry. She and Lourd thought-- and others
agreed-- that Sky's voice sounded "eerily similar" to the actress.
Lourd and the actress spent the morning fielding calls and emails from
friends and associates, some of whom worried that OpenAI had simply
appropriated Johansson's voice without permission.
>
When Lourd confronted Altman, however, the OpenAI chief executive was
incredulous. Did they really think the voice sounded like Johansson?
Was she mad?
>
So began the most dramatic episode yet in the collision between Hollywood
and the exploding world of artificial intelligence.
>
The emergence of AI as a rapidly advancing and perhaps unstoppable force
has sparked deep anxiety in creative industries that for decades have
been governed by strict rules of how creators are compensated for their
work. The reason is that the language models that power generative AI
chat tools are typically made using text, images, music and videos
hoovered up from across the internet. That can include material that
is copyrighted, valuable and often paywalled-- like Scarlett Johansson's
voice.
>
Johansson-- who just three years ago waged a blistering and public legal
campaign against Disney-- hired a legal team to demand answers from
Altman and OpenAI and issued an excoriating statement.
>
OpenAI, however, said Sky was never intended to resemble Johansson, and
that the company had hired a voice actor who recorded the part before any
outreach to Johansson. People close to Altman say he wanted Johansson
to be involved in the voice project, potentially as an additional voice
or to promote the product.
>
OpenAI paused use of the Sky voice on Sunday after receiving legal
letters from Johansson's team of representatives. Altman said Monday
evening in a statement that he apologized for failing to communicate
better.
>
Altman has been the most visible face of the AI movement since OpenAI
launched ChatGPT in late 2022 and ignited a global frenzy over AI
technology. He and the company face numerous challenges, including a
slew of copyright lawsuits and mounting pressure to advance its GPT-4
technology. It's also trying to move past its leadership crisis from
last November, when OpenAI's then-board of directors fired Altman for
failing to be "consistently candid". He was quickly reinstated as CEO.
>
For performers like Johansson and IP owners, it is hard to prove whether
their likeness or content has been misused. Regulations governing the
systems are scant.
>
Altman in a speech last year said he and other OpenAI executives were
inspired by the 2013 film HER, in which a man falls in love with his AI
assistant, voiced by Johansson. The company aimed to develop an
assistant like Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana that users could
talk to.
>
Last May, the company sent out a casting call looking for male, female,
and nonbinary voices in the 25 to 45 age range. It wanted voices that
were warm, engaging and charismatic, internal documents reviewed by The
Wall Street Journal show. "Someone you instantly trust and feel a
kinship with. Nothing 'put on'."
>
It whittled down a list of 400 applicants and flew actors to San
Francisco last June and July for recording sessions. The actors were
asked to sign nondisclosure agreements and refrain from providing voice
recordings to OpenAI's competitors for three years after the product
launch, the documents show. OpenAI says that the actress who played
Sky was recording in the studio last July.

>
Which is a complete crock of shit.
Wrong again, counselor.

>
Are you yet again under the impression that I wrote an article that I
quoted from the legacy corporate media?
>
I'm not 'wrong again', Shit Shoes. I didn't say anything here to be wrong
about. All I did was post an interesting article about show business in a
TV newsgroup.

>

You posted Altman's lies.

>
No, MSN/MSNBC/NBC put his comments in their article. I merely posted the
article.
>

Why didn't you post Altman calling his new AI voice: "Her"?

>
Because that wasn't in MSN/MSNBC/NBC's article. Are you finally coming
around to the fact that the corporate legacy media can't be trusted?
>
Well, to quote a famous Christmas movie, "Welcome to the party, pal."
>

 You posted it.  I corrected it, and you're running for the hills.
 But points for using the Trump Defense.
"I didn't do it, he did it.  I only re-posted it."
 Like you're idol, you don't take responsibility for your actions.