AI Deepfakes: Scarlett Johansson Sounds the Alarm on Digital Deception

Scarlett Johansson, a prominent Jewish actress, recently found herself in the spotlight for a different reason. A fake video, created using AI, showed her and other celebrities in a controversial light. The video, which featured Johansson in a T-shirt with a hand gesture, a Jewish star, and Kanye West’s name, was a response to West’s recent antisemitic remarks and a swastika shirt he was selling. The video was created by Ori Bejerano, a generative AI expert, and was shared widely on social media. Johansson was quick to address the issue. She condemned the video and called for stronger legislation to protect people from AI misuse. She emphasized that the threat of AI is not just about individual incidents but about the broader implications for society. Johansson highlighted that the U. S. government needs to take action to prevent the misuse of AI, which could lead to a loss of reality and a rise in hate speech. The fake video also included AI-generated imagery of other celebrities like Adam Levine, Mila Kunis, and Mark Zuckerberg, set to a Jewish folk song. This incident is not the first time Johansson has spoken out against AI. Last year, she took legal action against OpenAI for using a synthetic voice similar to hers. She urged the U. S. government to prioritize legislation that limits AI use, calling it a bipartisan issue that affects humanity’s future. The video was created by Ori Bejerano, who described himself as a generative AI expert on his Instagram bio. His original post included a notice that the content was digitally created or altered with AI to seem real. Bejerano’s caption called for a strong response to antisemitism and demanded that social networks stop giving a platform to hate speech. While Johansson is the only celebrity in the fake video to speak out against AI, others have previously spoken out against West. For example, David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller in the TV show "Friends, " pleaded with Elon Musk to block West from X. Schwimmer argued that West’s hate speech results in real-life violence against Jews. Hen Mazzig, co-founder of the Tel Aviv Institute, an organization that works to combat Jewish hate and misinformation across social media, also weighed in on the AI video. Mazzig highlighted that while misusing AI is dangerous, unchecked antisemitic hate being platformed to millions every single day is even more dangerous. This incident underscores the need for stronger regulations and awareness about the potential dangers of AI.