Embed from Getty Images
Sometimes you choose the fight, and sometimes the fight chooses you. Scarlett Johansson, it seems, is the woman the fates have chosen to stand up to the unlawful, unchecked power of AI to create likenesses of people without consent. In 2023, Scarlett sued the Lisa AI app when they conjured her image to advertise for them. In 2024, Scarlett publicly called out Sam Altman’s ChatGPT for obviously copying her voice, after Scarlett had formally declined their request for her partnership months earlier. And now this year’s installment: AI-generated images of Scarlett and other Jewish celebrities have emerged in videos aimed at protesting Kanye West’s latest pro-Nazi, antisemitic rantings. So Scarlett has issued a statement, essentially saying that antisemitism is bad; any kind of hateful rhetoric PLUS unrestricted AI, is yet more dangerous. And hey US government, want to step in here?
The statement follows the spread of a viral video that uses AI-generated images of Johansson, Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg and other Jewish celebrities calling out Kanye West for his antisemitic statements.
The AI Johansson is shown in the video wearing a white T-shirt with the image of a hand flipping the middle finger, the name “Kanye” and a Star of David. The video ends with the words “Enough is Enough” and “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism.” The other celebrities — including Simon & Garfunkel, Woody Allen, Sacha Baron Cohen and others are wearing the same T-shirt.
The video’s description on YouTube states that the images are AI-generated.
Johansson’s statement reads:
“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 continues, “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.
“I urge the U.S. government to make the passing of legislation limiting A.I. use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”
“We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.” Yes to this, although I personally think there’s a strong argument to be made that we’ve long since passed having a hold on reality. But still! The only way back to a facts-are-facts, there-are-things-that-undisputedly-did-and-did-not-happen world, is to fight the quixotic fight back to it. And the practical way that gets done, is precisely the way Scarlett suggests: by calling out AI when it runs amok. Which leads to her push for government to get more involved, because the best way to keep something in check is to have laws and regulations in place. But with this government?? I’m not exactly holding my breath. (I mean, I am, each day brings more jaw-dropping news.) But this is when we could do with an avenger…
Photo note by CB: This is Scarlett with living legend June Squibb, who should have been nominated for best actress for Thelma.
Embed from Getty Images
Photos credit Getty, celebrityphotosUK/Avalon and IMAGO/RW/Avalon/Avalon
I was caught up in an AI scam that was using our Prime Minister’s ex-wife as their front person. What she appeared to say made sense, so I signed up only to discover it was a scam. Took about a year of itemizing every single telephone call (when I started the call, how long I was on hold for, how many hang-ups after being on hold, name of the persons I did speak with and if I could get them to tell me, their ID number, etc etc etc) along with every single email. When the investigators said send us your proof I photocopied all my handwritten notations, printed out all the emails and mailed them close to 2 pounds of paperwork proving my efforts to extract myself from the scam. They were finally, in bits and pieces, able to refund well over $500 billed to my credit card. During the investigation they kept adding more charges to my card so we put a hold on it and the investigator said they tried numerous times to add charges but they bounced back as the card had a hold on it. Even I couldn’t use it during that time. When it was over, the investigator said she wished everyone had fought like I did, with notations of dates, times, names whenever possible, and all. She said even though the perps fought back, my efforts to resolve made her job that much easier once an official investigation was launched (through the credit card company). AI fooled me once and now I’m scared stiff of it.
Yikes, thanks so much for sharing and I’m so sorry you went through that. Applause for fighting!
Scarlett, the voice of AI in She, a warning movie about AI, speaking out in favor of regulating AI is somehow something coming full circle. The Muskrat is delving into AI and attempting to purchase another AI company so this will likely get worse before it gets better. It may take several prominent Republican members of the Senate having a bad experience before anything is done.