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OpenAI disables ChatGPT voice that sounds like Scarlett Johansson
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said it is suspending use of one of its popular AI voices after users noted how similar it sounds to actor Scarlett Johansson’s voice.
The company’s so-called voice mode function, launched in 2023, lets users interact with ChatGPT, widely used “generative” artificial intelligence software, by speaking to it. It also acts as a text-to-speech tool that reads answers to user prompts in one of five different voice options.
Although OpenAI said the voice in question, dubbed Sky, is not Johansson’s, the company said it is pausing its use to respond to user questions about how it choses and samples the voices in ChatGPT.
“We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them,” the company said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
In a blog post late Sunday, OpenAI elaborated on how it comes up with its different voices, reiterating that the Sky option uses the voice of an actor who is not Johansson.
“We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice — Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents,” the company said in the post.
OpenAI worked with casting professionals and voice actors, ultimately whittling the five voices down from a pool of 400 options. The actors are paid as long as their voices are used in ChatGPT’s products, the company noted. Winners were selected based on a variety of criteria, including a sense of timelessness and how easy the voices are to listen to.
Some users lamented the company’s decision to temporarily disable Sky, calling it “the best” or their “favorite” voice. It remains unclear why, if the voice was sampled from a paid actor, the company felt it necessary to take it down. OpenAI did not indicate when the voice will become available again.
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Popular gluten free tortilla strips recalled over possible contamination with wheat
A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
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Gazan chefs cook up hope and humanity for online audience
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Serving up home-cooked dog food
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