Renowned Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has expressed outrage over an AI-generated video of her and has called for legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the entertainment website Variety, an AI-generated video featuring Scarlett Johansson and other celebrities has sparked controversy in Hollywood, prompting a strong reaction from the actress.
The video showcases AI-generated versions of Scarlett Johansson, Jack Black, Mila Kunis, Drake, Steven Spielberg, and Adam Sandler, appearing to protest against American rapper and producer Kanye West’s recent controversial (anti-Semitic) statement. In the clip, these celebrities are shown wearing anti-Kanye West T-shirts. The video ends with AI-generated content displaying the phrase “Enough is enough.”
Expressing strong disapproval, Scarlett Johansson condemned the misuse of AI while emphasizing its positive applications. She stated, “As a Jewish woman, I will not tolerate anti-Semitism or any form of hate speech.” However, she also expressed concern that AI-generated hate speech poses a greater threat than hate speech delivered by an actual person.
In her statement, Johansson stressed the need to denounce the misuse of artificial intelligence, regardless of whether the messaging has an impact or not. She further warned that if such misuse is not curbed, “we risk losing our grip on reality.”
Scarlett Johansson has previously spoken out about the dangers posed by AI misuse. She admitted to being personally affected by AI-generated content but emphasized that “this threat is not just to me—it affects all of us.”
She criticized the U.S. government, stating that while many progressive nations are preparing to tackle the impending AI threat, the United States remains paralyzed in legislating safeguards against AI’s potential risks.
Calling for urgent action, Johansson urged the U.S. government to prioritize AI regulation, stating that this is a “bipartisan issue that affects all of humanity.”
It is worth noting that in November 2023, the actress took legal action when AI technology was used without her consent to replicate her face and voice in an advertisement.
Later, in May 2024, she strongly protested against OpenAI for allegedly using her voice from the 2013 film Her to develop the AI assistant “Sky” in GPT-4.0 Chatbot, leading her to pursue legal action once again.
