When OpenAI launched its voice-powered version of ChatGPT, CEO Sam Altman really wanted one of the voices to be that of Scarlett Johansson, who voiced the computer companion in his favorite movie, Her. So OpenAI negotiated with Johansson. She said no to a deal. OpenAI kept trying, right up until the product launch. Johansson kept saying no. Then when the vocal version of ChatGPT launched, it had a voice called Sky. The rub? That voice sounds just like Scarlett Johansson. The actress then wrote a (Scarlett) letter detailing the negotiations and the breach of trust: "Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there. As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the 'Sky' voice. Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take down the 'Sky' voice." On one hand, this seems like a minor story about potential litigation between tech company and a big-time star. But it represents more than that. As Casey Newton explains in Platformer, "Johansson is one of the world’s most famous actresses, and she speaks for an entire class of creatives who are now wrestling with the fact that automated systems have begun to erode the value of their work. OpenAI’s decision to usurp her voice for its own purposes will now get wide and justified attention." OpenAI loses its voice. It's about where our rights end and tech companies' begin. And it's yet another example that self-regulation of big tech is not the answer. Once the race for dominance begins, user rights and societal good go out the window. And that race may have never been more heated than it is right now in the world of AI. We need to talk about this stuff, in part because OpenAI employees can't (as I covered yesterday: STFU About OpenAI). Better make your voice heard on these issues before someone else does.

+ "Setting aside the legal questions here, such behavior would align with some of the harshest criticism of Sam Altman and OpenAI — that it’s a company with little regard for the value of creative work led by a scheming, untrustworthy operator." John Herrman in NY Mag: The Scarlett Johansson Incident Makes OpenAI Look Desperate.

+ Since technology is moving toward AI and other advancements that will sideline humans and indie content, I decided to launch a blog. There’s a new NextDraft site with the latest content right on the homepage. You can basically get ND however you want it. And please take a second to spread the word. Now when you share, your friends and followers can go straight to the latest content. Give me, I need, I need.

2

Roach Clippings

"They first hitched rides in soldiers’ bread baskets to the Middle East 1,200 years ago — much earlier than previously thought ... They reached Europe, where they would get their name, only 270 years ago, probably aboard European colonial ships. Global trade in the 19th and 20th centuries allowed the scavengers to infiltrate most of the world’s nooks and crannies, and indoor plumbing and heating enticed them to stay." NYT (Gift Article): How the Cockroach Took Over the World. "A genetic analysis of the German cockroach explained its rise in southern Asia millenniums ago, and how it eventually turned up in your kitchen."

3

Migranted No Quarter

"A year-long joint investigation by The Washington Post, Lighthouse Reports and a consortium of international media outlets shows how the European Union and individual European nations are supporting and financing aggressive operations by governments in North Africa to detain tens of thousands of migrants each year and dump them in remote areas, often barren deserts." WaPo (Gift Article): With Europe’s support, North African nations push migrants to the desert. When it comes to factors impacting geopolitics today, few things weigh more heavily than migration. And climate change is only going to make things more complicated.

4

Unfriendly Skies

"The hospital said in an update that at least 71 people had been injured, including citizens from Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States and Ireland. It also said six people are severely injured. Earlier, Kittikachorn had said seven people were critically injured." Not the story we wanted to read as we gear up for summer travel. CNN: One dead and at least 71 injured after severe turbulence hits Singapore Airlines flight.

5

Extra, Extra

Sounds Familiar: 2015: My dad, who survived the Holocaust and fought the Nazis with the Partisans: "A lot of Trump's speeches remind me of Hitler's in the early days." 2024: Trump posted a video on Truth Social calling the country a 'unified reich' if he wins.

+ Hush Little Baby: Surprise, surprise. Trump didn't take the stand in the hush money case. After unusually heated exchangesbetween Judge Merchan and Trump's star defense witness, both sides have rested. Because Merchan didn't want deliberations to be interrupted by a 3-day weekend, closing arguments won't happen until next Tuesday. That means 24-hour cable news will have to repeat itself for a week. (In other words, the usual.)

+ Pedal Power: "A new study finds people who are in the habit of riding a bike are significantly less likely to have osteoarthritis and experience pain in their knees by age 65, compared to people who don't bike."

+ There's an AP for That: US urges Israel to reverse decision to seize AP equipment and block live Gaza footage. (Terrible move by the IDF.)

+ Into the Eye of the Storm: "A more significant influence on the rising storm damage trend has little to do with the weather: Growth and development patterns mean there are many more homes and businesses in the way of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds than there were decades ago." WaPo (Gift Article): The surprising reasons thunderstorms are more destructive than ever. (From yesterday: the most damaging impact from major storms is giant blocks of ice falling from the sky.)

+ Go Ref Yourself: I regularly wish The Athletic would have gift articles, which seems like it should happen soon since it's now owned by the NYT. If you happen to be a subscriber, don't miss this excellent piece on the NBA's most controversial ref. What do you think of Scott Foster after reading this?

+ Monkey Wrench: It’s so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from the trees. "They were falling out of the trees like apples."

+ Taking the Long Way: How long will it take until big food starts marketing products made specifically for people who use GLP-1 drugs ? This long. Nestle is launching a food brand designed for Ozempic and Wegovy users.

6

Bottom of the News

I covered this a little while ago when they were starting to put up the screen, but it really is pretty incredible that a town is blocking the view of Mt Fuji because they can't take the tourists. "The barrier is the result of a chorus of complaints from locals, who say their lives have been disrupted by jaywalking and littering tourists."

+ It's not just vinyl. Young listeners are pressing play on cassette tapes.

+ There are some great shots among the Winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2024.