Scarlett Johansson has called on US lawmakers to limit the use of AI after an unauthorized deepfake video of her likeness and several other Jewish celebrities went viral on social media.
The video features an AI-generated version of the 40-year-old Hollywood actress alongside over a dozen other popular Jewish A-listers appearing to oppose rapper Kanye West’s recent antisemitic outburst on X.
Scarlett Johansson denounces AI misuse
Johansson is shown wearing a white T-shirt with an image of a hand flipping its middle finger. West, now Ye, went on a rant against Jews last weekend and even started selling Swastika T-shirts on his website.
“It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness…has been circulating online and gaining traction,” Johansson told People on Wednesday.
“I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
The video clip – reportedly created by Israeli generative AI expert Ori Bejerano, also features 20 AI versions of stars including Adam Sandler, Mila Kunis, Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jack Black, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and David Schwimmer.
In the video, the stars are wearing white T-shirts with the middle finger flipped off and a Star of David in the middle of the hand with Kanye’s name below it.
In the end, the video declares that “Enough is Enough” and urges viewers to “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism”.
In her statement, Johansson lamented how she has been “a very public victim of artificial intelligence”. But she also warned that the “threat of AI affects each and every one of us.”
“There is a 1000-foot wave coming regarding AI that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner,” she detailed.
“I urge the US government to make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”
Johansson.
Johansson also said it was worrisome to note that the US government is “paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI.”
The star has been caught up in AI controversy before
This is not the first time that the “Fly Me to the Moon” star has had to deal with AI stealing her likeness. In May 2024, she criticized OpenAI after it emerged that the ChatGPT voice, Sky, resembled Johansson’s.
OpenAI said Sky’s voice was “not an imitation of Johansson” but went on to suspend the voice anyway.
And in November 2023, Johansson threatened to sue a company that used her likeness to create an advert.
“The video included images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person,” the company denied the allegations.
While Johansson is the only star in the fake video to speak against the Kanye West sentiments, other stars have previously aired their concerns. For instance, over the weekend before his Super Bowl ad aired, “Friends” actor David Schwimmer begged Elon Musk to block Kanye from X.
“We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk,” Schwimmer wrote on Instagram.
“Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews,” added Schwimmer.
According to CNN, Kanye West deactivated his X account on Sunday. An organization that works to combat Jewish hate and misinformation across social media Tel Aviv Institute co-founder Hen Mazzig commented on the AI video.
“Misusing AI is dangerous, no doubt,” Mazzig wrote on X. “But you know what’s even more dangerous? Unchecked antisemitic hate being platformed to millions every single day.”
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