Scarlett Johansson Sues AI App For Impersonating Her In An Ad Without Permission

Photo 230871726 © Starstock | Dreamstime.com

Scarlett Johansson’s last acting project was in a film called North Star, according to IMDb. She did not promote the idea of reimagining yourself in AI-generated “photos,” as one advertisement might have fans believe.

Johansson has now taken legal action against the Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar app, developed by Convert Software, for appropriating her name, likeness, and voice in a commercial she did not consent to having a part in.

The offending advertisement began with a real clip of the A-lister talking behind the scenes at the premiere of Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. “What’s up guys? It’s Scarlett, and I want you to come with me,” the actress can be heard saying.

The scene then cut to AI-generated imagery depicting her face. A voice that sounded like Johansson then told viewers that avatars weren’t the only feature possible with the app. “You can also create images with texts and even your AI videos,” the fake Johansson proclaimed. “I think you shouldn’t miss it.”

Variety, who saw the video, reports that it was accompanied with the text, “Images  produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person.”

The 22-second clip has since been taken down from X (formerly Twitter), where it was posted.

Johansson has previously criticized the lack of moderation when it comes to women being digitally edited into content—often of an X-rated nature—called deepfakes, without their knowledge or permission.

The star’s lawyers tell Variety that the team will “deal with [the misuse] with all legal remedies that we will have.” 

[via The Guardian, Variety, NBC News, cover photo 230871726 © Starstock | Dreamstime.com]