Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson spoke out against a faked video using the likeness of her and other industry A-listers bashing disgraced rapper Ye for his blatant antisemitism.
She called it the "misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging" and warned that by perpetually relying on AI systems to convey messages, we risk "losing a hold on reality."
Ye went on an antisemitic rant on his now-deactivated X (formerly Twitter) account in a series of deleted tweets declaring himself a Nazi and praising Adolf Hitler. His toxic comments prompted Friends actor David Schwimmer to urge Elon Musk to ban the "deranged bigot" from X once again.
Ye was recently lambasted for hawking swastika t-shirts on his Yeezy clothing line website, which he promoted in a Super Bowl ad.
Shopify subsequently dropped Yeezy from its platform, citing the brand's failure to engage in "authentic commerce practices" and violating the e-commerce company's terms.
In response to Ye's unhinged antisemitic stunts, a black and white video circulated online showing AI versions of various Jewish celebrities wearing T-shirts featuring a hand giving the middle finger above Ye's previously-known moniker, "Kanye."
An AI rendering of Johansson was seen at the beginning, followed by the likes of music artists Drake and Lenny Kravitz, filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen, comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Jack Black, and actors David Schwimmer, Mila Kunis, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Average viewers would be hard-pressed to discern the images are fake.
The brief clip ends with comedic actor Adam Sandler flipping off the camera as the phrases, "Enough is enough" and “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism" appear.
While it is unclear who created the video or where it came from, it's unlikely any of the featured celebrities gave their consent for their likenesses to be so prominently featured.
Here is the video.
Johansson, who has been vocal against advancements in AI in Hollywood, spoke to People magazine and slammed the faked video.
ScarJo stated:
"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."
"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."
She continued:
"I have unfortunately been a very public victim of A.I. But the truth is that the threat of A.I. affects each and every one of us."
"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."
"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."
The actor addressed the U.S. government and urged them to pass "legislation limiting AI" and make it a top priority.
"It is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large," she concluded.
People shared their thoughts on the controversy.
Johansson was previously depicted in a deepfake video in October 2023.
She threatened legal action against the image-generating app Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, which used her likeness without permission for an ad posted on X. It was removed after the cease-and-desist order.
In May 2024, Johansson said she was "shocked, angered, and in disbelief" after "a voice that sounded so eerily similar" to hers was used by AI research company OpenAI for its new ChatGPT 4.0 system's voice demo called "Sky" despite her declining the company's request to use her voice.
The threat of advanced AI compromising the identities of and replacing actors was one point of contention resulting in the drawn-out SAG/AFTRA strike that shut down the industry beginning in June 2023.
