Morgan Freeman’s Voice Stolen: Hollywood Legend Faces Scarlett Johansson’s Worst Nightmare in AI Fiasco
The power of new AI technology is changing the way we hear things. The ability to replicate voices with AI is a relatively new development, but one that is rapidly evolving. While this could be useful in many ways, there are also concerns about how it might be misused.
Morgan Freeman seems to be a dealing with the same situation. Just like Scarlett Johansson, the Hollywood legend’s voice was used without his permission for an AI project.
Morgan Freeman Calls Out AI for Faking his Voice
Recently, Morgan Freeman, the famous actor with a unique voice, has spoken up about AI copying his voice without permission. He took to social media to express his appreciation for fans who have notified him about these AI-generated imitations. And also to call out the practice in hashtags as a “scam” and a violation of “identity protection.”
Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection
— Morgan Freeman (@morgan_freeman) June 28, 2024
According to Men’s Journal, a TikToker, claiming to be Freeman’s niece, uploaded videos that supposedly had a voice that sounded like him. However, it was actually made by AI. The 87-year-old’s legitimate voice work includes narrating films like March of the Penguins and the Netflix series Life on Our Planet, and serving as the voice of CBS News.
This comes in the wake of a similar controversy involving Marvel star Scarlett Johansson, who was in a dispute with an artificial intelligence company, OpenAI.
Scarlett Johansson Confronted OpenAI For Imitating Her Voice
Scarlett Johansson said she refused to be the voice of their AI assistant named ‘Sky.’ But, according to the actress, OpenAI went ahead and made a voice that sounded suspiciously similar to hers! Her statement, reported by CBS News), reads:
When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference.
As reported by The Guardian, OpenAI wrote AI voices should not “deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice.” They clarified that the voice used by their new GPT-4o model, named Sky, isn’t trying to sound like Scarjo. Instead, it “belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”
When Johansson spoke out on May 20, she mentioned getting legal advice. It’s not clear yet if she plans to sue now that OpenAI has removed the voice.
