Scarlett Johansson Files Lawsuit Against AI App for Impersonating Her Voice in Commercial

The signs of AI causing trouble became evident when the song ‘Heart on my sleeve’ was released and quickly gained popularity on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. This song was created using AI technology and featured the voices of Drake and The Weeknd. Although it was eventually removed from the platforms, it demonstrated how convincingly an AI-generated voice could mimic real artists. In a recent incident, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has taken legal action against an AI app that used her voice in an online advertisement without her permission. This lawsuit is the latest example of growing frustration among singers and actors who are concerned about the misuse of their identity through deepfakes.

According to Variety’s report, Johansson appeared in a 22-second ad released for X by an AI image creation app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar. The report looked at the ad, and it opens with a video of the actress behind the scenes of Marvel’s Black Widow, saying “What’s up? It’s Scarlett and I want you to come with me.”

The video then cuts to AI-generated images of the actor and his closely resembling voice, promoting the AI app, saying, “It’s not just limited to avatars. You can also create images from text and even your AI videos. I think you shouldn’t miss it.”

All the while, a small text appears at the bottom of the screen, according to a Variety report, that reads, “Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person.”

Scarlett Johansson takes legal action against an artificial intelligence app

The actor’s reps told Variety that Johansson is not a spokesperson for the ad or the developer of the artificial intelligence app Convert Software, and was not contacted for permission before the ad aired. As a result, his lawyer, Kevin Yorn, treated the situation as legal.

Yorn also issued a statement to Variety, saying, “We do not take these matters lightly. As is our normal course of action under these circumstances, we will pursue it with all legal means available to us.”

Unauthorized use of a name, voice, signature, photograph or image is punishable in many US states, including California, where the lawsuit was filed. It is believed that with the increasing use of artificial intelligence, we will see more and more cases like this.