Scarlett Johansson calls on US to regulate AI after fake video criticising Kanye West

American actress Scarlett Johansson, who has been a victim of artificial intelligence (AI) in the past, called on the US government to regulate the use of AI through laws after a fake video of her and other Jewish celebrities criticising recent anti-Semitic remarks by rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) went viral.

The actress stressed that “many progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded responsibly” to put limits on artificial intelligence in the face of its growing popularity.

In this regard, he said it was “terrifying” that the country was “paralyzed” when it came to approving legislation to protect its citizens from the dangers of this technology.

He therefore urged the country's government to make passing laws limiting the use of artificial intelligence "an absolute priority."

“We must denounce the misuse of AI, regardless of its message, or we risk losing control of reality,” he stressed.

The video circulating on social media was generated by Israeli AI Ori Bejerano and shows Johansson and other celebrities such as Drake, David Schwimmer, Mark Zuckerberg and Steven Spielberg wearing a T-shirt with a hand showing the middle finger, along with a Star of David and the rapper's name in capital letters.

The images, which end with the message “Join the fight against anti-Semitism,” respond to the rapper’s recent X-rated posts in which he launched hate messages towards the Jewish community and proclaimed himself to be a Nazi.

Added to this is the fact that on Sunday, during the Super Bowl, the artist released an advertisement for his brand Yeezy.com that promoted the sale of a T-shirt with a swastika.

This isn't the first time Johansson has fallen victim to AI: last year, OpenAI featured a voice on its ChatGPT that sounded very similar to the actress's, which was eventually temporarily removed following complaints from Johansson.

Additionally, in 2023, she took legal action against another AI app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, which used her image and voice without her permission.

In this regard, Johansson said that “unfortunately,” she has “been a very public victim of artificial intelligence, but the truth is that it affects each and every one of us.” EFE