Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has filed a legal lawsuit against the developer of an AI app for exploiting her name and likeness in an online advertisement, as reported by Variety. The advertisement in question was for a 90s-themed AI image editor known as Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, and it featured an AI-generated rendition of Scarlett Johansson’s voice.
The advertisement, spanning 22 seconds, showcased Scarlett Johansson in a behind-the-scenes scenario during the filming of “Black Widow,” where she explicitly greeted the audience with the words, “What’s up guys? It’s Scarlett, and I want you to come with me.” Subsequently, the ad shifted away from Johansson, introducing an AI-simulated voice, designed to mimic the actress, stating, “It’s not limited to avatars only. You can also create images with texts and even your AI videos. I think you shouldn’t miss it.”
According to Variety, the very end of the ad contained a disclosure from Convert Software, the entity responsible for the app, which stated, “Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person.” Representatives for Scarlett Johansson have informed Variety that the actress was never officially endorsing the application. Her attorney, Kevin Yorn, has taken the appropriate legal measures to address the matter.
Yorn remarked in a statement to Variety, “We do not take these matters lightly. In accordance with our usual course of action in such circumstances, we will pursue it through all legal avenues at our disposal.” Neither Yorn nor Convert Software responded to The Verge’s request for commentary regarding the specific details of the legal action.
With the increasing accessibility of AI technology, it is foreseeable that analogous cases will arise in the future. Musicians are already grappling with voice cloning, enabling instances where it may appear as though Drake is releasing a new track or Johnny Cash is covering songs by Taylor Swift. Additionally, deepfake technology permits AI-generated likenesses, such as Tom Hanks, to be featured in advertisements without their consent, as in the case of a dental plan ad featuring Tom Hanks’ simulated appearance.
