Get the latest tech news

Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson can thank Bette Midler for helping protect her voice.

OpenAI could face legal consequences for making a ChatGPT voice that sounds a lot like Scarlett Johansson — whether the company did so intentionally or not. The wins by Midler and Waits “have clear implications for AI voice clones,” says Christian Mammen, a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson who specializes in intellectual property law. To win in these cases, celebrities generally have to prove that their voice or other identifying features are unregistered trademarks and that, by imitating them, consumers could connect them to the product being sold, even if they’re not involved.

Get the Android app