Actress Scarlett Johansson has sued the creator of an artificial intelligence app for cloning her image and voice for an ad. In the advertising video, Lucy's protagonist invites viewers to try the app, but it's not her: her voice has been generated by artificial intelligence.
The ad was broadcast on Twitter and lasted 22 seconds. It first showed Johansson, 38, backstage during the filming of Marvel's Black Widow, where she says: “What's up, kids? I'm Scarlett and I want you to come with me." At that moment a graphic covers the actress's mouth and the screen changes to photos generated by artificial intelligence that look like the actress. His cloned voice states, “It's not just limited to avatars. You can also create AI images, text, and even videos. I think you shouldn't miss it", with reference to the app, called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook
At the bottom of the video was a small text that read: “Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person", with reference to Johansson. However, this warning has not prevented the legal team of the two-time Oscar nominee from suing the creator of this artificial intelligence for using his name and aesthetics. "We don't take these things lightly. According to our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will deal with the case with all legal resources at our disposal", stated his lawyer, Kevin Yorn. The creator of the application has not been revealed, for now.
The app has been downloaded over a million times on Google Play, and the buzz seems to have promoted it. You can create avatars by emulating a person's appearance and applying different art styles. Apart from this demand, artificial intelligence has opened up a debate about the use of artists' own elements, such as their appearance and, above all, their voice.
Johansson is not the first Hollywood star to report that her name and image have been manipulated for advertising purposes. Last month, Tom Hanks took to social media to point out a promotional video for a dental clinic that featured an AI-recreated version of the actor. "I have nothing to do with this," Hanks wrote on Instagram to warn of the situation. Stephen Fry also reported that an artificial intelligence had stolen his voice and used it without his consent in the narration of a documentary.
