Scarlett Johansson brought receipts to the OpenAI controversy

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. OpenAI announced this week that it’s removing Sky, one of the voices used by its new GPT-4o model, after users found it sounded eerily similar to Scarlett Johansson’s AI character […]
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Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.

OpenAI announced this week that it’s removing Sky, one of the voices used by its new GPT-4o model, after users found it sounded eerily similar to Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in “Her.” The actress released a statement stating that she hired legal counsel to inquire about how the voice was developed. While the company claims the voice was not based on Johansson’s, the actress said OpenAI had previously approached her about using her voice for the model.

The U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, for alleged monopolistic practices. U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland said in a press conference that Live Nation “suffocates its competition.” The suit comes after legislators took a closer look at the entertainment giant’s control over the industry, sparked by Taylor Swift fans’ frustrating attempts to buy Eras tour tickets in late 2022.

This week also had a big shakeup at Techstars. CEO Maëlle Gavet announced she is leaving the company at the end of the month, with co-founder and board chairman David Cohen replacing her. Gavet’s leadership style was a subject of controversy during her tenure. A TechCrunch investigation found accusations of an “autocratic and punishing” culture that led to a significant labor exodus.

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Image Credits: Alex Wong / Staff / Getty Images

Meta’s AI council lacks diversity: Meta announced a new AI advisory council — and it’s composed entirely of white men. Unfortunately, it isn’t all that surprising. Dominic-Madori Davis, Amanda Silberling, and Kyle Wiggers explore how women and people of color have played a key role in the AI revolution, even as they continue to be overlooked. Read More

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