Actor Scarlett Johansson keeps getting mixed up with artificial intelligence, and she's not been a fan at any point -- especially not now. After her likeness was recently used again in a viral video, she called for laws to be made to keep people safe.
While the video featured celebrities calling out antisemitism, Johansson still doesn't think it should be legal to use anyone's face or voice without permission.
She said in a statement: "I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech ... 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.”
This is not the first time the actor has found herself trying to take a stand against her likeness being used without her consent. From AI-generated advertisements to a suspiciously close-sounding version of her voice being used fot an AI chatbot, it doesn't seem like this is a problem Johansson can run from. But she's clearly up for fighting against it until some kind of action is taken.
Unfortunately, AI-generated video and similar content does seem to be getting better and better, though it's still not impossible to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't. It's definitely not as easy as it used to be, though. Celebrities have the luxury of speaking out against this when it's brought to their attention, and maybe that might bring about some change among lawmakers. But what happens when this happens to someone who isn't famous? It's already happening, and there aren't clear safety measures in place to protect us.
“It is terrifying that the US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI," Johansson's statement continued, stressing that the government needs to "make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority.”
There are a lot of problems in the world -- no one reading this is likely going to argue against that particular fact. But that doesn't mean we can't call out things that aren't right no matter how small or insignificant they may seem compared to bigger issues. Saying something is better than saying nothing, and hopefully some action is taken on this front before things get dangerous.