Scarlett Johansson says while she has “no tolerance” for hate speech, she’s calling out the “misuse of AI” in a viral video featuring her and other Jewish performers responding to antisemitic remarks by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
“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,” the “Black Widow” actor said in a statement to ITK on Wednesday.
“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.,” Johansson, 40, said.
“We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality,” she said.
Johansson’s response, first reported by People magazine, came after an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video began circulating this week seemingly showing a variety of famous faces — including Jerry Seinfeld, Natalie Portman, David Schwimmer and others — denouncing Ye. In the video, the celebrities sport shirts featuring an image of a raised middle finger and the Star of David written above the name “Kanye.”
Ye flooded social media with antisemitic posts last week, writing on X that he was “a Nazi” who loves Adolf Hitler. On Tuesday, the 47-year-old music star’s online store that was selling t-shirts with images of swastikas was shut down by the e-commerce platform Shopify.
In her statement, Johansson said, “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.”
Last year, Johansson spoke out after ChatGPT rolled out its voiced AI assistant that she claimed sounded “eerily similar” to her voice.
In her Tuesday statement, Johansson urged lawmakers to take action on AI.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
“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,” she said.
