Guy Bar and Ori Bejerano, digital marketing experts hailing from Israel, often harness the power of artificial intelligence to craft commercial advertisements. However, following Kanye West's latest antisemitic stunt—a Super Bowl advertisement directing viewers to a website selling a swastika T-shirt for $20—they chose to wield their AI expertise to condemn West's hate-filled antics. Specifically, they aimed to create a scenario where numerous celebrities seemed to be speaking out against him.
Bar and Bejerano revealed to Yahoo News that they were the brains behind a viral video this week, featuring AI-rendered depictions of various prominent Jewish figures, including Jerry Seinfeld, Scarlett Johansson, David Schwimmer, Steven Spielberg, Michael Bloomberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin, among others.
In the video, set to the lively tune of the Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila," the celebrities are seen sporting white T-shirts with the word "Kanye" emblazoned on them, accompanied by a hand giving the middle finger, with a Star of David nestled in its center. The clip concludes with an AI-generated Adam Sandler flipping his finger at the camera, adding a comedic yet pointed finish.
Other AI-generated figures in the video include Drake, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, Jack Black, Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Portman, Woody Allen, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Mila Kunis, Ben Stiller, and Adam Levine.
"We deliberately opted for a very subtle video style—a stark contrast to the aggressive and provocative manner in which Kanye West expresses himself," Bar shared with Yahoo News. "We wanted to use their 'voices,' so to speak, to tell Kanye West: Your antisemitism and incitement to violence have surpassed every conceivable boundary."
However, the video, created without the consent of the depicted celebrities, had an unforeseen impact. Much of the discourse surrounding it centered on ethical concerns regarding the use of AI to generate images of real individuals without their permission, rather than focusing on the antisemitism it intended to protest.
Johansson, who has previously spoken out against AI-generated videos featuring her likeness, issued a statement on Wednesday. While emphasizing that she is "a Jewish woman with zero tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind," she deemed the video a "misuse of AI."
"My family and friends have alerted me to an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic viewpoint, that has been gaining momentum online," Johansson's statement read. "Unfortunately, I have been a very public victim of AI misuse, but the reality is that the peril of AI affects each and every one of us."
The actress issued an urgent appeal to Congress, urging them to enact legislation that would shield individuals from the looming perils of artificial intelligence. As of the time of this report, none of the other prominent figures featured in the AI-crafted video have ventured a public response. On February 8th, Schwimmer took a stand against West's "vile hate-filled rhetoric" in an Instagram Story, pleading with Elon Musk, the proprietor of X, to "cease amplifying [West's] voice." West, whose account had previously been suspended due to antisemitic postings, subsequently penned a farewell message on X and deactivated his account.
Bar revealed that neither he nor Bejerano had received any direct communication from those portrayed in the video. He acknowledged having read Johansson's statement and expressed their "profound respect" for her stance on AI and the broader discourse encompassing its usage. "That aside," Bar continued, "the aforementioned video was not birthed from commercial ambitions, but rather, it served as an artistic and cultural declaration aimed at countering the escalating tide of antisemitism. Throughout the annals of time, art, satire, and storytelling have played pivotal roles in shedding light on urgent social crises, and AI merely represents the newest medium through which these dialogues are being shaped."
The reactions to the Instagram video resonated with Johansson's unease regarding the deployment of AI, with some comments mirroring her discomfort. "Absolutely not a fan of this," penned one observer. "As a Jew who harbors a deep dislike for Kanye, I still find this video combating evil with evil tactics. While the message it conveys is crucial, utilizing AI to place words in people's mouths treads a perilous path."
Another user chimed in, "Regardless of how fervently we desire something to be true, disseminating AI-created videos as though they are authentic poses a grave risk. It undermines the authenticity of the voices that champion our community. ... We must strive for better."
Ultimately, Bar contended that the video's focus transcends the individuals featured; it is a clarion call to halt antisemitic messaging and behavior. "We are confident that those depicted in the video will resonate with it and its profound message," he asserted. "It is imperative that the urgency of the issue at stake — the normalization of antisemitism and hate speech — does not get sidetracked in the discourse surrounding the technology itself."
