The Right of Publicity and Scarlett Johannson’s response to ChatGPT Sky voice

Details and context matter in Right of Publicity analysis. As a brief summary, OpenAI recently released its ChatGPT 4.0 with a chatbot voice (“Sky”) which Scarlett Johannson says is “eerily similar” to hers. We don’t know how the situation may get resolved, but the Right of Publicity provides a response. Apparently, an offer was made by OpenAI for Johannson to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 chat bot. Johannson declined. It may have seemed like a natural fit due to Johannson’s role in the movie Her in which she was the voice of an AI system. Perhaps that fit was so natural that on May 13, 2024 in proximity to the release, Sam Altman issued a one-word tweet: “her.” Past negotiations and this tweet could be the subject of considerable attention, as an example of why “details and context matter” when it comes to the Right of Publicity. The company has denied that Sky was meant to sound like Johannson, but these details could possibly indicate otherwise.

Here is a link to one of numerous articles providing more details: Scarlett Johannson ChatGPT voice that sounded like her

Two disturbing AI situations involving the Right of Publicity of George Carlin and Taylor Swift

I would hope that both of the stories breaking yesterday, one involving George Carlin’s estate and the other involving Taylor Swift, would find universal support in favor of the Right of Publicity.

Carlin: George Carlin estate sues over AI comedy special

Taylor Swift: Taylor Swift and AI images