Scarlett Johansson has urged US legislators to “protect all of its citizens” against the “misuse of AI” after she was edited into a fake video of her opposing Kanye West’s antisemitic behaviour.
Scarlett Johansson has begged the US government to place limits on artificial intelligence (AI) after a fake video of her opposing Kanye West went viral on social media.
The clip showed the 40-year-old actress with other Jewish celebrities – like Drake, Mila Kunis, Jake Gyllenhaal, Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Jerry Seinfeld – wearing a shirt with the name ‘Kanye’ on it, along with an image of a middle finger that had a Star of David in the middle, and Johansson has now called on US regulators to “protect all of its citizens” against the “misuse of AI”.
In a statement to People, the ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ star said: “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.
“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.”
Johansson added she had “unfortunately been a very public victim of AI”, but emphasised “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 US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI.”
She concluded: “I urge the US 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.”
This comes after Kanye West announced in a Super Bowl advert that his now-offline website Yeezy was selling t-shirts branded with Swastikas on them, and posted antisemitic comments on X (formally Twitter).
Scarlett Johansson pleads with government to limit AI after deepfake Kanye West video goes viral
