Scarlett Johansson on AI scandal: ‘It threatens reality’

Scarlett Johansson has spoken out strongly against the use of artificial intelligence after a chatbot launched by tech company OpenAI featured a voice that sounded remarkably like hers, despite her clear refusal to take part in the project.

According to The Sunday Times, the Hollywood actress, 40, said she was left “shocked and in disbelief” when OpenAI unveiled the voice assistant ‘Sky’ at an event in Silicon Valley in May 2024.

Fans quickly noticed that the assistant’s voice closely resembled Johansson’s distinctive tone, similar to her performance in the 2013 film Her, where she played an AI that develops a romantic bond with a human.

Scarlett Johansson revealed that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, had approached her months earlier to voice the assistant, a request she turned down.

Despite this, a voice strikingly like hers was still used. To make matters worse, Altman posted the word “her” on social media during the launch, which many interpreted as a direct reference to Johansson’s film.

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Scarlett Johansson said while she believes AI has some uses in filmmaking, it cannot replace the emotional core of a human performance. “I just don’t believe the work I do can be done by AI,” she said. “I don’t believe the soulfulness of a performance can be replicated.”

The actress, who stars in the upcoming film Jurassic World: Rebirth, also warned of the deeper threat AI poses by blurring the line between real and fake. “That’s a threat,” she said. “AI threatens the foundation of reality and the trust we need to function as a society.”

Following legal action from Johansson’s team, OpenAI removed the voice from ChatGPT and claimed it was not meant to mimic her. But by then, the controversy had already caused significant backlash.

Scarlett Johansson plays covert operations expert Zora Bennett in the upcoming dinosaur thriller, which hits cinemas on 2 July.

The film also stars Wicked and Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey and is set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion.