Marvel's Scarlett Johansson Takes Legal Action Against AI App Using Her Likeness

Marvel star Scarlett Johansson is suing over her AI likeness being used without her consent. A rogue company has been using her name and likeness in a 22-second ad posted to Twitter. Lisa AI, that 90s Yearbook & Avatar app that everyone has been using without thinking twice, is on the other side of this legal inquiry. Variety reports that Johansson's representatives reached out and got the advertisement pulled. Her attorney Kevin Yorn is said to have handled this one with haste. Users on Twitter first spotted the Lisa AI ad on October 28 and things have seemed to cool down and in a hurry. 

"We do not take these things lightly. Per our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will deal with it with all legal remedies that we will have," Yorn told Variety.

The clip in question sees her likeness in different AI generated photos. A disembodied fake voice imitates her speech and beckons users to make their own AI videos and images from some dubious model. Lisa AI thought they were covering their bases with some fine print under the advertisement that read: "Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person." Well, from the sounds of the legal proceedings, it sure does seem like it has something to do with the Black Widow actress now.

Other Marvel Actors Speak Out Against AI

Johansson is far from the only star to speak up about her concerns with AI technology. Avengers and Agents of SHIELD favorite Clark Gregg actually testified before Congress about AI likeness regulation and how it relates to the ongoing actors' strike. With the level of modeling and personal information available to people right now, it feels like this is a major issue for SAG-AFTRA and one that will have to be navigated in the years ahead.

"To have fundamental things like your likeness — when you do a, let's just say a genre movie, maybe in a superhero universe, there are intense scans done of you all over," Gregg told The Wrap earlier this year. "And you know, at some point, they're probably going to be able to replicate you. That needs to be with your permission, your consent, your involvement."

"You know, we're not just information to be fed into a computer. That's not what humanity is for. And I think I feel like we're kind of fighting to keep the soul in the art form." he concluded.

Congress Moves To Limit AI

Congress has even gotten in on the act with their legislation to ban unauthorized AI likenesses of celebrities. "No Fakes Act", also known as the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act, was introduced by a bipartisan coalition of congress recently. The senators responsible Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar, and Thor Tillis. The "No Fakes Act" enables IP protections against misappropriation of voice and likeness performances in sound recordings and audiovisual works. In a statement, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher applauded the move. "A performer's voice and their appearance are all part of their unique essence, and it's not ok when those are used without their permission," she said. "Consent is key."

Coons would also offer comment, "Creators around the nation are calling on Congress to lay out clear policies regulating the use and impact of generative AI and Congress must strike the right balance to defend individual rights, abide by the First Amendment, and foster AI innovation and creativity."

SAG-AFTRA leadership including Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland also offered had positive opinions of the legislation, "The explosion in popularity and capability of generative artificial intelligence has flooded the internet with AI-created songs, videos band voice recordings which exploit the voices and likenesses of our members without consent or compensation. For our members, their voice and likeness is their livelihood. They spend a lifetime improving their talent and building their value. It is outrageous to think someone can undermine that value with a few prompts and clicks on a keyboard."

Did you see this ad? Let us know down in the comments!