Scarlett Johansson is pushing US legislators to place limits on artificial intelligence after an unauthorized deepfake video of her went viral. Johansson is pushing for regulations to ban deepfake videos made using AI. The actress released a statement saying, “It is terrifying that the U.S. government paralyzes itself when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI”. The AI-made video also stars a dozen other Jewish celebrities.
Johansson is pushing the US government to put AI regulations in place to ban deepfake videos
Earlier this week, a video on the social networking platforms went viral. It opens with an AI version of Johansson wearing a white T-shirt featuring a hand and its middle finger extended. There’s also a Star of David in the center of the hand, apart from the name “Kanye” written below it. Johansson is calling for the US government to pass a law limiting the use of artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the video has AI-generated versions of more than a dozen other Jewish celebrities. Some of these include Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Black, Mila Kunis, and Lenny Kravitz. It ends with “Enough is Enough” and “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism”. In a statement to the People, Johansson denounced what the actress called “the misuse of AI, no matter what it’s messaging”.
“I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind,” Johansson said, according to People. “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 has been a victim of AI tools in the past as well
It is not the first time Johansson has become a victim of artificial intelligence-powered tools. In 2023, the actress threatened legal action against a company after it used her AI likeness without authorization in an advertisement. In May last year, the actress felt “angered” and “shocked” to hear a voice similar to her own in OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI assistant.
It’s worth mentioning that US lawmakers introduced a bill to fight against sexually explicit deepfakes last year. However, there has been very little movement on other forms of artificial intelligence regulations. AI tools have made it very easy to make deepfake videos. It’s only a matter of time before they will do more harm if regulations aren’t in place.
