OpenAI has announced that it will remove one of the voices used by its ChatGPT system after users noted a similarity to Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson.

The resemblance was found in the chatbot's "Sky" voice option, which reads responses aloud.

Users drew comparisons between this voice and Johansson's performance in the 2013 film Her when OpenAI showcased its new model.

OpenAI highlighted that the voices in ChatGPT's voice mode were "carefully selected" through a comprehensive five-month process involving professional voice actors, talent agencies, casting directors, and industry advisors.

In Her, set in a near-future, Joaquin Phoenix's character falls in love with an operating system voiced by Johansson. Director Spike Jonze described the film as a story about love and intimacy, not about technology or software.

OpenAI clarified that the voice was not intended to imitate Johansson.

"We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity's distinctive voice," the company stated in a blog post.

OpenAI is currently "working to pause" the voice while addressing concerns about its selection process, as detailed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Despite this, during the demonstration of its new model GPT-4o on May 13, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referenced Her on X.

The demonstration showcased the chatbot's enhanced conversational abilities, with the chatbot making remarks like "Wow, that's quite the outfit you've got on" and "Stop it, you’re making me blush” when complimented.

The chatbot's voice and responses sparked mixed reactions online, with some critics pointing out gendered stereotypes. One user commented on X, "This is giving such 'female character as written by men' vibes. Why is she so obsequious and flirty?"

OpenAI emphasized that the voices were created to be multilingual and to have an "approachable" and "charismatic" quality that "feels timeless."

The selection process involved detailed discussions with shortlisted actors about the vision for human-AI interactions, as well as the technology's capabilities and limitations.

The advanced voice features demonstrated at the spring update event have yet to be rolled out to ChatGPT users but will soon be available to subscribers who pay for faster responses and priority access to new features.