After Deepfake Goes Viral, Johansson Has a Warning

The latest Kanye West controversy is spinning off into other controversies. Scarlett Johansson is now leading the charge against a viral video that shows her and a slew of other celebrities seemingly confronting Ye's most recent foray into antisemitism, which included a meltdown on X and hawking a swastika shirt on his Yeezy website. There's one problem, though: The video is actually a deepfake created by artificial intelligence, apparently made without any of the stars' consent.

• Video: In the clip that's been circulating, Johansson—as well as Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller, Mike Bloomberg, Mila Kunis, Woody Allen, Adam Sandler, and others—can be seen sporting a white tee showing a hand with the middle finger extended, along with a Jewish star and the word "Kanye." The Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila" plays in the background during the montage, with Sandler flipping a final bird to the camera before the video fades into the words "Enough is enough. Join the fight against antisemitism."

• Origins: CNN reports that the video was created by self-proclaimed "generative AI expert" Ori Bejerano. His Instagram post featuring the clip has a disclaimer that notes: "This content was digitally created or altered with AI to seem real."
• Johansson: The 40-year-old actor is already pushing back on the video, despite perhaps approving of its message. "I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind," Johansson says in a statement, per CNN. "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."
• History: Johansson has been a vocal critic of artificial intelligence in the past. The Verge notes that she sued an AI app developer in 2023 for using her likeness in an ad, as well as went after OpenAI for using a ChatGPT voice that sounded an awful lot like hers (they eventually stopped using that voice).
• Call to action: Johansson goes on to call artificial intelligence "a 1,000-foot wave" headed our way, noting it's "terrifying that the US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers." She urges lawmakers to make such legislation a "top priority."
• A different take: At least some who are outraged by Kanye's antics believe the ends justify the means. "Misusing AI is dangerous, no doubt. But you know what's even more dangerous? Unchecked antisemitic hate being platformed to millions every single day," writes Hen Mazzig of the Tel Aviv Institute, which fights Jewish hate.

(More artificial intelligence stories.)