Scarlett Johansson is reportedly taking legal action against an AI app developerfor using her name, image and voice in an online ad. The ad was for an AI image editing program, called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, and used Johansson's voice, created by artificial intelligence technology.
The 22-second ad showed the actress backstage at the filming of Black Widow, where she says “ What's up guys? It's Scarlett and I want you to come with me .” But then the ad cuts away from Johansson, while an AI-generated voice that sounds like Scarlett Johansson says: “ It 's not limited to avatars only. You can also create images with texts. I think you shouldn't miss it and even your AI videos .”
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At the bottom of the ad, Convert Software, the developer behind the app, included text that read: “Images generated by Lisa AI. No affiliation with this individual.”
Johansson's reps told Variety that the actress was never a spokesperson for the app and that her lawyer, Kevin Yorn, is "handling the situation legally."
"We do not take these matters lightly. As is our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will pursue this with all legal means at our disposal," Scarlett Johansson's lawyer told Variety.
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As artificial intelligence becomes more widely available, we are sure to see more of this in the future. Musicians have already faced the issue of having their voices cloned. Deepfake technology, which mimics the appearance of humans, has also been used to impersonate famous people. Recently, a deepfake video showed Tom Hanks in an advertisement for a dental program without his consent. The popular actor's image was created using artificial intelligence.
The use of AI in advertising has opened up new horizons and offers many possibilities, but the above assumptions highlight issues that need to be considered.
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One of the main concerns is the protection of copyright and people's privacy. The use of Scarlett Johansson's voice without her permission highlights the problem of uncontrolled copying and use of human voices by technology .
Furthermore, this case raises questions about the credibility and authenticity of advertisements that use AI technology. If voices can be copied and used without the permission of the people who own them, then the credibility of the advertisements could be undermined.
Source: www.theverge.com
