Kanye West’s three-day antisemitic rampage has had ramifications all across the entertainment world. Following his dramatic appearance at the Grammys, where his wife Bianca Censori stripped almost naked on the red carpet, West went on a disturbing posting spree and expressed his love for Hitler, among other things.
Then, a mysterious video started doing the rounds. In it, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson and other Jewish celebrities were seen to speak out against West. Johansson stood in front of a Star of David and held up her middle finger to the name “Kanye.” That’s the sort of thing you can expect if you use social media to promote hate and division. There’s just one problem, though: That wasn’t Johansson in the video. It was all AI.
Johansson was horrified to have her image used without her permission, and now she’s released a statement to the media about how threatening she finds the use of generative AI.
“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 said. “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.”
Related: Taylor Swift Reacts to Getting Booed at the Super Bowl, Instantly Becomes the Most Relatable Meme
Johansson has actually spoken about AI misuse before. Back in 2023, she took legal action against an app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar for using her image without permission. Then the following year, she called out OpenAI for using a voice “eerily similar” to hers. CEO Sam Altman claimed the voice was not Johansson’s – but it sure sounded like it.
The Avengers star fiercely guards her image, as she has every right to do so. She continued in her statement, slamming the now Donald Trump-led government: “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. 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.”
She finished: “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 isn’t the only celebrity who’s expressed fear about AI. She’s not even the only superhero movie star. Robert Downey Jr has said he will sue anyone who tries to “recreate” him with AI, while Nicolas Cage spoke out this month about how he fears “integrity, purity and truth of art will be replaced by financial interests only” with the rise of AI. It’s a huge issue, and it won’t be going away anytime soon.
Published: Feb 12, 2025 12:50 pm