Senators Say Scarlett Johansson’s AI Debacle Shows Why We Need New AI Laws

Senators told NOTUS that the controversy surrounding whether Scarlett Johansson’s voice was used as the template for a new artificial intelligence chat function is “the perfect teachable moment.”

Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told NOTUS the Scarlett Johansson episode was “another example of why we have to put rules in place” on artificial intelligence. Alex Brandon/AP

After Scarlett Johansson claimed last night that OpenAI had stolen her voice for a new artificial intelligence feature, lawmakers were on the offensive Tuesday, using the episode as a case in point for the need to regulate the emerging technology.

“It is another example of why we have to put rules in place for the protection of people’s voices, the protection of their beings, the protection of our democracy,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar told NOTUS on Tuesday.

She said the controversy was just another reason why she and her colleagues were “working on provisions that I hope would be included in any framework.”