Acclaimed Actress Scarlett Johansson Takes Legal Action Against AI App for Unlawfully Exploiting Her Name, Facial Features, and Voice in Advertisements

According to a report from Variety, renowned Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson is currently involved in a legal battle with an AI app developer who has used her name and likeness in online advertisements. The advertisements are promoting an AI image-editing program called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, which features the voice of Scarlett Johansson in the AI-generated version.

The 22-second long advertisement showcases behind-the-scenes footage of Scarlett Johansson filming the movie “Black Widow” while inviting viewers to use the app. As the advertisement transitions, Scarlett Johansson’s image disappears while her AI-generated voice continues, stating that the app not only creates avatars but also generates images with accompanying text and even user-generated AI videos. The advertisement concludes with a message from Convert Software, the developer of the app, stating that “images produced by Lisa AI have nothing to do with this person.”

Scarlett Johansson’s representative informed Variety that she has never endorsed or worked with this app. Meanwhile, Kevin Yorn, Scarlett’s lawyer, stated that they will address the legal implications of this situation.

The issue of using the voice and appearance of actors through AI technology has been a recurring topic. It includes cases like Cyberpunk 2077 using AI to recreate the voice of deceased game voice actors, Robin Williams’ daughter criticizing the use of AI to recreate her father’s voice as “disturbing,” and Tom Hanks raising awareness about AI deepfakes featuring his likeness to promote different agendas.

TLDR: Scarlett Johansson is pursuing legal action against an AI app developer for using her name and likeness in online advertisements. The advertisement promotes an AI image-editing program, featuring Scarlett Johansson’s voice. While AI-generated images and videos can be created using the app, Scarlett Johansson’s representative clarified that she has no affiliation with the app. The use of AI to replicate actors’ voices and appearances has sparked ongoing discussions and concerns in the industry.