Scarlett Johansson has issued a strong statement criticizing an AI-generated video featuring the likeness of several high-profile celebrities calling out Kanye West for his recent antisemitic rants and selling of swastika-emblazoned T-shirts.
The clip, which went viral after it was posted on X on Tuesday, opens with a deep fake of the Oscar-nominated actor wearing a T-shirt with a Star of David inside a hand giving the middle finger. Underneath the hand is the word “Kanye.” The minute-long, black-and-white video then features other Jewish celebrities, including Drake, Woody Allen, Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Sandler and Steven Spielberg, wearing the same shirt. The video, reportedly the work of AI artist Ori Bejerano, concludes with the messages “Enough Is Enough” and “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism.”
Johansson, who has long spoken out against the dangers of artificial intelligence, shared a statement with People on Wednesday.
“I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind,” the statement reads. “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.”
In 2023, Johansson took legal action against an AI app that used her name and likeness in an online advertisement without permission. Last spring, she went public with accusations that OpenAI deliberately copied her voice for its new AI assistant in the updated version of ChatGPT, even after the actor declined to voice the chatbot herself. OpenAI denied that it imitated Johansson’s voice. Johansson said that she was “shocked” and “angered” that the company went ahead and used a voice that sounded very similar to hers anyway.
“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,” the actor continued. “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. 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.”
The controversy arrives days after rapper Kanye West — who now goes by the name Ye — went on hateful tirade, posting a series of antisemitic, racist and homophobic tweets on the social media platform X. In an ad that aired in some local markets during the Super Bowl on Sunday, West promoted a Shopify account that was selling T-shirts emblazoned with a swastika.
West faced immediate backlash. His X account has since been deactivated, while Shopify took down his e-commerce store for violating the company’s terms of service. West is also being sued by his talent agency, and by a former employee who is accusing him of misogyny and antisemitism.
