I understand the legitimate concerns about cloning a celebrities voice without their permission. And I also understand that ChatGPT isn’t the same as hiring an impersonator for a single gig - this is an ongoing paid service. But Sky was a voice actress who gave a realistic and empathetic performance. Someone who captured the same traits I loved about Scarlett’s performance in Her. I think it makes perfect sense that people who love that movie are going to “anthropomorphize” or just simply want to hear Samantha’s voice. While Sky may have been created to exemplify the amazing performance delivered by Scarlett in that movie, it’s not identical to Scarlett. In fact I’d argue it misses several of the squeaks and other imperfections that made Scarlett’s delivery of Samantha so vulnerably human.
I deeply hope that Sky returns. And if not Sky exactly, I hope OpenAI brings another voice that’s just as warm, friendly, empathetic and dare I say “human”. I don’t believe a voice like Sky is optional. I believe it’s paramount for the broader non-technically audience to feel comfortable and connected with an AI like 4o.