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Scarlett Johansson’s legal battles and reflections on AI: A deep dive into Hollywood’s evolving landscape
Scarlett Johansson recently spoke to The New York Times, shedding light on her tumultuous legal battle with Disney over the release of her Marvel movie “Black Widow.” The dispute arose when Disney decided to release “Black Widow” in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access simultaneously amid the pandemic in July 2021. Johansson’s contract stipulated an exclusive theatrical release, prompting her to sue the studio for potential losses in backend compensation.
“I don’t hold a grudge,” Johansson said. “I think it was just poor judgment and poor leadership at that time. It just felt very unprofessional to me, the entire ordeal. And honestly, I was incredibly disappointed, especially because I was holding out hope until, my team was like, ‘You have to act.’”
The legal battle intensified when Disney disclosed Johansson’s $20 million salary for “Black Widow” and criticized her for showing “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Johansson previously told Variety that she was “mostly sad” over the legal fight with Disney, adding: “It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit. I was also really heavily pregnant, too, which in a weird way was amazing timing. Suddenly, your entire attention is drawn to this miracle of life. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby.”
While Johansson doesn’t hold a grudge against Disney, she might hold one against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The two were at the center of a public dispute this May after OpenAI seemingly mimicked Johansson for the voice of its ChatGPT voice Sky in an ode to the actor’s voice role in the film ”Her.” OpenAI pulled the voice amid backlash but maintained that “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”
Johansson came out swinging in her own statement, revealing she was “shocked” and “angered” that OpenAI mimicked her voice when she originally turned down the company’s offer to be the voice of its ChatGPT system. The actor confirmed her lawyers contacted OpenAI to have the voice of Sky pulled down.
According to Johansson, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reached out to her in September 2023 about the company hiring her to provide the voice for ChatGPT 4.0. She declined for “personal reasons,” but Altman allegedly contacted her agent and “asked me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there.”
Speaking to The New York Times, Johansson said she had “actively avoided being a part of the [AI] conversation, which was what made it so disturbing. I was like, ‘How did I get wrapped up in this?’ It was crazy. I was so angry.”
When asked if Altman would make a good Marvel villain, the actor responded: “I guess he would – maybe with a robotic arm.”
“I felt I did not want to be at the forefront of that,” Johansson said about turning down OpenAI’s original request. “I just felt it went against my core values. I don’t like to kiss and tell. He came to me with this and I didn’t tell anybody except my husband.”
“I also felt for my children it would be strange. I try to be mindful of them,” Johansson added.
The actor went on to call the current state of AI-generated deepfakes and duplicates a “dark wormhole you can never climb your way out of,” adding: “Once you try to take something down in one area, it pops up somewhere else. There are other countries that have different legislation and rules. If your ex-partner is putting out revenge, deepfake porn, your whole life can be completely ruined.”
“I think technologies move faster than our fragile human egos can process it,” she concluded, “and you see the effects all over, especially with young people. This technology is coming like a thousand-foot wave.”
Johansson has been making the press rounds in support of her romantic-comedy ”Fly Me to the Moon” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/fly-me-to-the-moon), which is now playing in theaters. She’s currently in production in Thailand on the next “Jurassic World” movie (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/jurassic-world).
As we reflect on Johansson’s experiences, it becomes clear that the intersection of technology and entertainment is fraught with challenges and ethical dilemmas. The rapid advancement of AI and its implications for privacy and identity are issues that will continue to shape the industry and our society. Johansson’s candid reflections offer a glimpse into the personal and professional complexities faced by those at the forefront of these changes.
