Scarlett Johansson’s attorneys announced Wednesday that the actress plans to take legal action against an AI company that used her name and likeness in an ad without permission—adding the A-lister to a growing faction of stars and politicians frustrated by the proliferation of AI-crafted imposters. As public figures attempt to stamp out deceptive online impersonators via the court system, they may face increasing challenges stemming from the borderless nature of the internet. In Johansson’s case, the offending app, Lisa AI, appears to have voluntarily pulled the Twitter ad in contention—likely as a result of the actress’ lawyer’s outreach. But what happens if a company operating out of a country without AI regulation refuses to comply with a similar ultimatum in the future? In most countries, including the United States, public figures are generally subject to fewer protections regarding their publicity rights. This situation is a legal gray zone, and may start centering on the online platforms on which these deep fakes are posted—such as in this case, Twitter. Although U.S. senators are seeking to make illegal any AI-generated depiction of a person created without that person’s permission, Twitter’s policy on the matter currently looks much more relaxed. This news means that public figures may have a difficult time trying to take legal action against AI-crafted imposters, due to the borderless nature of the internet and the lack of AI regulation in some countries. This is bad news for those hoping to protect their image and likeness from being used without their permission. #AI #LegalAction #DeepFakes #PublicFigures
You can read more about this topic here: Decrypt: Celebs Like Scarlett Johansson Declare War on AI Deep Fakes—Are They Doomed?
