Scarlett Johansson has once again been forced to speak out about the dangers of artificial intelligence, this time after a video featuring her likeness has gone viral.
“It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction,” she told People early 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 in question features Johansson and other Jewish celebrities appearing to condemn Kanye West’s latest antisemitic spiral. AI versions of Adam Sandler, Mila Kunis, Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jack Black, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer are also included.
“I have unfortunately been a very public victim of AI, but the truth is that the threat of AI affects each and every one of us,” she continued. “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. 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 AI.”
“I urge the U.S. 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’s statement concluded.
Indeed, the “Fly Me to the Moon” star previously spoke out against OpenAI last May when she discovered ChatGPT featured a voice named Sky that sounded eerily like hers. Sam Altman’s tech company denied the similarities, claiming they used a different actress entirely even though Johansson initially turned down the job.
“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” she said at the time, in part. “I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”
