Scarlett Johansson Condemns Antisemitism, Calls for AI Regulations After Deepfake Video Goes Viral

Scarlett Johansson is speaking out against antisemitism and urging lawmakers to enact regulations on artificial intelligence after a deepfake video featuring her and other celebrities circulated widely on social media this week.

The AI-generated video depicted Johansson wearing a T-shirt with a hand showing the middle finger, a Jewish star, and Kanye West’s name. Although entirely fake, the video falsely suggested that Johansson and others were reacting to West’s latest antisemitic remarks and the swastika-emblazoned shirt he was selling on his Yeezy website before it was removed by Shopify.

The manipulated video also featured AI-generated images of Adam Levine, Mila Kunis, Lenny Kravitz, Mark Zuckerberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman, David Schwimmer, and others, all set to the Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila,” which is traditionally played at cultural celebrations.

Johansson has been one of Hollywood’s most outspoken critics of AI misuse. Last year, she took legal action against OpenAI after discovering that a synthetic voice used for ChatGPT sounded “eerily similar” to her own.

In a statement on Wednesday, Johansson called on lawmakers to take action against AI abuses, emphasizing the urgent need for regulation.