Scarlett Johansson is urging the United States and other countries to take action against artificial intelligence after an AI-generated likeness of the actress appeared in a faked ad opposing recent antisemitic remarks by Ye.
The rapper previously known as Kanye West purchased airtime during the Super Bowl to promote his Yeezy clothing brand. At the time that the ad ran, the website featured only one item: a white t-shirt with a swastika emblazoned on it. The AI clip featuring Johansson appeared to be in response to West’s stunt and featured faked-up representations of the actress and other Jewish celebs wearing a white tee featuring a middle finger and a Star of David over the name “Kanye.”
“It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends, that an A.I.-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction,” Johansson shared in a statement to People. “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 A.I. is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
Johansson publicly feuded with OpenAI last year, after the ChatGPT maker released a voice assistant that sounded spookily similar to Johansson’s heard-but-not-seen companion Samantha in the 2013 sci-fi film “Her.” The actress said she was “shocked” to hear an approximation of her voice from the tool, as she had been approached by the company and declined an offer to work with them. OpenAI claimed they never intended to use Johansson’s voice but still pulled the option to use that particular vocal filter on ChatGPT.
In her statement on Wednesday, Johansson said she’s already been a “very public victim of A.I.” and worried that lawmakers weren’t preparing for a future in which people’s likenesses and artwork could be so easily co-opted.
“There is a 1000-foot wave coming regarding A.I. that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner,” she wrote. “It is terrifying that the U.S. government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of A.I.”
Johannson went on to ask that the U.S. make “limiting A.I. use a top priority.”
“It is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large,” she wrote.
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