Scarlett Johansson has decided to take legal action against an AI app that used her name and image in an online advertisement without her authorization. The 22-second ad, shared on Twitter by the Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar app, falsely featured Johansson, who has no affiliation with the app. Her attorney, Kevin Yorn, has confirmed that he is handling the situation through legal means.
The ad, reviewed by Variety, begins with an old clip of Johansson behind the scenes of Marvel’s “Black Widow.”
Johansson says, “What’s up guys? It’s Scarlett and I want you to come with me…” before a graphic covers her mouth and the screen transitions into AI-generated photos that resemble the actor. A fake voice imitating Johansson then continues speaking, promoting the AI app. “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,” says a voice that sounds like Johansson.
The ad, which has since disappeared, commenced with a clip from behind-the-scenes footage of Johansson during the production of “Black Widow.” It then transitioned into AI-generated images resembling the actress, accompanied by a synthetic voice that sounded like Johansson, promoting the AI app’s capabilities. The ad contained a disclaimer in fine print, stating that the images were created by Lisa AI and were unrelated to the person depicted.
Many states, including California, have stringent privacy laws that prohibit the unauthorized use of an individual’s name, voice, image, or likeness for advertising purposes. Scarlett Johansson’s legal action seeks to address this breach of her rights.
This incident is not isolated, as other celebrities have encountered similar situations where their name and likeness were manipulated for promotional purposes. Tom Hanks, for instance, recently alerted his fans to a promotional video for a dental plan that featured an AI-generated version of him, clarifying that he had no involvement in it.
