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| Scarlett Johansson |
But there is no doubt that he has an extreme hatred of us. And he proved it again last Sunday.
He has called himself a Nazi, expressed love for Hitler, and sells T-shirts with swastikas on his website. A website for which he even placed an ad during the Super Bowl. The fact that he has millions of followers demonstrates how much influence he wields.
However, my primary concern is not so much his antisemitic
influence. Even though it may be considerable. That can be countered with common sense; the fact that the vast majority of Americans reject his views entirely, and the response from all the entities that severed ties with him. My concern lies
with a highly publicized video response featuring several Jewish celebrities
wearing T-shirts displaying an obscene gesture while making that gesture
themselves. I understand the outrage. But I am appalled
that it took such an obscene form.
The Jewish people need not stoop to vulgar responses to
express our feelings. We are better than that. There are more dignified ways to
express our outrage without dishonoring ourselves in the process.
Except that this reaction never actually happened.
It was generated by AI (Artificial Intelligence), which
manipulated images of these celebrities to make it appear as though they were
wearing these T-shirts and making the same obscene gesture.
While I understand and appreciate the sentiment behind the
outrage that these images projected, I am relieved that they were not real. I
think Scarlett Johansson captured the issue best when she stated:
“It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction.
I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
The idea that AI can create fake videos that are
indistinguishable from reality is not new. But for the first time, it has been
used to promote an idea based on a lie - even if the message itself was
well-intentioned. Lying as a means of gaining support can have destructive side
effects. In this case, it created false images of people making obscene
gestures. If I were a celebrity and someone included a fake image of me doing
that, I would be livid.
That being said, I do not support imposing excessive limits
on freedom of expression, as it could infringe on First Amendment rights.
However, as Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said in the 1919
Schenck v. United States decision, “Shouting ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater is
not protected free speech.”
The remedy for the misuse of AI in this way seems rather
simple: Fake videos that have the potential to cause harm - whether to
individuals or groups - should be illegal and subject to severe penalties.
If laws against this kind of AI deception do not already exist, they should. And Congress must act in a bipartisan manner to address this issue immediately.