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Scarlett Johansson has come out against the use of an AI-generated image of her in a viral video responding to Kanye West's antisemitism. The video shows Jewish American celebrities speaking out against West.
The video, circulating widely on social media, opens with an AI version of Johansson, 40, wearing a white T-shirt depicting a hand with its middle finger extended, a Star of David in the center, and the name "Kanye" written underneath.
AI-generated versions of more than a dozen Jewish celebrities—including Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Black, Mila Kunis, and Lenny Kravitz—also appear. The video ends with an AI-generated Adam Sandler flipping off the camera as Hava Nagila plays, alongside the messages "Enough is Enough" and "Join the Fight Against Antisemitism."
"I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. 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, Johansson said in a post on X. "We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Johansson condemned "the misuse of AI, no matter what its messaging." She said, "It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction. I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. 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."
Johansson, who has previously spoken out against AI deepfakes using her likeness, added, "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."
She warned of the growing dangers posed by unregulated AI technology, saying, "There is a 1,000-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."
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Johansson concluded her statement with a call to action: "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." West was not named in her statement.
The rapper made headlines on Sunday after airing a Super Bowl ad that directed viewers to his now-offline Yeezy website, where he was selling T-shirts featuring swastikas and the product code "HH," an abbreviation for a Nazi salute. Following the ad and several slur-filled posts on X, his talent agency dropped him.