Scarlett Johansson Breaks Silence On Deepfake AI Video Slamming Kanye West

Scarlett Johansson does not believe two wrongs make a right, judging by her response to a deepfake video slamming Kanye 'Ye' West's racist rants.

The actress is charging the government to take proactive measures against the indiscriminate use of Artificial Intelligence after a doctored video of her and some colleagues criticizing Ye went viral recently.

Scarlett Johansson's statement comes after Kanye 'Ye' West openly declared his love for Hitler and his status as a Nazi sympathizer on his X account last week.

The actress made strong points in her emphatic statement against what she described as "the misuse of A.I., no matter what its messaging."

The actress, who noted that she was made aware of the deepfake video by family members and friends, stressed that as a Jewish woman, her tolerance for "antisemitism or hate speech of any kind" is at its lowest. She added:

"But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by A.I. is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality."

She acknowledged her situation as "a very public victim of A.I.," adding that the threat of A.I. is an emergency that affects all and sundry across the United States. Registering her displeasure, the screen goddess said:

"There is a 1000-foot wave coming regarding A.I. that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner. It is terrifying that the US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of A.I."

Johansson concluded her statement by urging the US government to get serious about passing legislation limiting A.I. use as a top priority. She affirmed to PEOPLE that A.I. usage is a "bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large."

Johansson was not the only victim of the viral video, where all the characters coincidentally of Jewish origin donned an anti-Kanye T-shirt. 

Hollywood Reporter confirmed that more celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Sasha Baron Cohen, Steven Spielberg, and David Schwimmer appeared in the A.I.-generated content.

Following Ye's outbursts on X and his equally controversial Super Bowl Ad urging people to go and make purchases on YEEZY.com, Actress Isla Fisher took to Instagram to urge her followers to unfollow the rapper.

"Hey friends, can you please unfollow Kanye? Did you know this is the only thing for sale on his website after placing a Super Bowl commercial? F-ck this monster forever. No Tolerance for this sh-t," the actress declared. 

Schwimmer also asked Elon Musk on Instagram to remove the designer's account. Schwimmer noted that it is wrong to allow a "deranged bigot" to continue "spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile." Schwimmer added:

"Mr. Musk. Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That's twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews."

The origin of the trending A.I.-generated video remains unknown, and the creator was not cleared to put up such content.

Ye's brief stunt with his Super Bowl advertisement, where he reduced his YEEZY online store items to just one T-shirt branded with a Nazi swastika in front, has cost him his entire business.

The Blast shared that Shopify, the platform hosting the website, took his online store down as his stunt disobeyed the company's policy. A spokesperson for Shopify shed more light on why the company took the essential step, especially after Ye's anti-Semitic rants on X days before.

"All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify," the spokesperson noted.

While the rep did not specify which rules Ye broke, their policy explained that it will "restrict product or activities that we deem unsafe, inappropriate or offensive."

The takedown by Shopify happened 48 hours after Ye dropped an advert on the Super Bowl screen for his business. Ye’s ad video was reportedly shot on an iPhone with the rapper in a dentist chair.

The content was allegedly approved due to its low-budget nature. It was also viewed in several local markets, extending to Los Angeles. As soon as the advert dropped, the designer swiftly updated his online store to feature a $20 T-shirt with the swastika logo. The entire drama went down within an hour.

The huge question remains how the rapper’s ad escaped the usual scrutiny by media experts to affirm its suitability for broadcast in smaller local spots.

Shopify also came under fire, as critics tagged Ye’s move on their platform as a costly PR mistake. They wondered why the website would authorize the sale of that merchandise, considering the historical background of the swastika.

The 47-year-old finally decided he was done causing drama on X after his pal, Musk, indulged his excesses and gave him a free pass to air his thoughts. The rapper announced his exit by posting:

"I'm logging out of Twitter. I appreciate Elon for allowing me to vent. It has been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board. It was like an Ayahuasca trip. Love all of you who gave me your energy and attention. Till we connect again. Good afternoon and goodnight."

Ye's activities on X also involved him posting pornographic content and calling for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' release from police custody. Additionally, the rapper declared his undying love for Adolf Hitler and tagged the Jewish people as racists and users of white and black people in America.

What will be next for Kanye' Ye' West?