Scarlett Johansson has been vocal about her concerns regarding artificial intelligence, recently discussing potential regulations for the technology. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she mentioned an AI company that previously used her likeness and voice without permission. Johansson emphasized the need for legislative measures to keep pace with evolving technologies.
“There must be a set of agreed boundaries. [AI] isn’t harmful. I hope more people will support it and discuss it—I’m not sure why they aren’t,” she expressed.
This isn’t the first time Johansson has highlighted potential issues with AI. Back in 2024, she revealed that Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, approached her about voicing an AI chatbot, but she declined upon discovering a feature named “Sky” closely resembled her voice.
Johansson has reflected on her experience, stating, “If that could happen to me, how do we protect ourselves moving forward? There are no boundaries here. We’re setting ourselves up to be exploited.”
When she heard a demo of the AI’s voice, she was “shocked and angry,” noting how close it was to her own, especially for something designed to form a relationship with users.
Following her concerns, her legal team sent a letter to OpenAI seeking clarification on how the AI voice was developed. They later agreed to stop using the “Sky” voice in their products.
Altman addressed the situation, stating that the voice in question was not meant to resemble Johansson’s and had always been voiced by a different actor. However, they opted to pause its use in light of her concerns.
Johansson, while feeling somewhat sidelined in the discussion about AI, insisted that she wouldn’t withdraw from expressing her views. “I don’t have to make a lot of noise, but I’m not afraid of being dismissed,” she said.
Reflecting on her career that began as a child, she emphasized that she feels empowered to advocate for herself now. Johansson took legal action in 2023 against an AI image generation tool for using her likeness and voice in advertisements without consent.
Her lawyer underscored that they would pursue all legal avenues available in such cases as a standard course of action.
