A video clip with AI versions of Johansson and other famous people with a Jewish background, such as Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Black, Mila Kunis, and Adam Sandler, is spreading like wildfire in social media. It is unclear who created the video, but it is seen as a response to rapper Kanye West's Nazi outbursts last week.
In the clip, the celebrities are wearing t-shirts with a hand showing the middle finger, and in the middle of the hand, the Star of David is visible. The video ends with Adam Sandler's AI version giving the finger to the camera and with the text "Enough is enough. Join the fight against anti-Semitism".
In a statement to People, Scarlett Johansson says that AI is being misused, regardless of the message:
"I am a Jewish woman who does not tolerate anti-Semitism or hate rhetoric. But I believe that the increased possibility of hate rhetoric through AI is greater than the people who take responsibility for it. We must talk about the misuse of AI, regardless of the message, otherwise we risk losing grip on reality", she says, among other things, in the statement.
Johansson is also urging the US government to speed up legislation on AI.
Scarlett Johansson has previously taken a stand against the use of AI – last year, she protested against Open AI launching an AI voice that had striking similarities to hers.
