Jenna Ortega opens up about AI horror and quitting social media
9:09 AM EDT, August 26, 2024
Known for her role in the series "Wednesday," Jenna Ortega shared her thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) and how negatively it has affected her life.
In an interview with "The New York Times," the actress confessed that she closed her account on platform X after receiving disturbing images created by AI. "I hate AI," the clearly upset actress said.
"Did I like being 14 and making a Twitter account because I was supposed to and seeing dirty edited content of me as a child? No. It’s terrifying. It’s corrupt. It’s wrong," she added.
Problematic beginnings on social media
Ortega admitted that she initially got excited about social media and hoped it would help her career. However, the popularity of "Wednesday" caused the internet to be flooded with unwanted content featuring the actress. Ortega decided to delete her account on Twitter (now X). "I used to have that Twitter account and I was told that, Oh, you got to do it, you got to build your image. I ended up deleting it about two, three years ago because the influx after the show had come out — these absurd images and photos, and I already was in a confused state that I just deleted it," the Netflix star confessed.
The star can see the positive aspects of AI, but she has had only bad experiences with it. "I mean, here’s the thing: A.I. could be used for incredible things. I think I saw something the other day where they were saying that artificial intelligence was able to detect breast cancer four years before it progressed. That’s beautiful. Let’s keep it to that. Did I like being 14 and making a Twitter account because I was supposed to and seeing dirty edited content of me as a child? No. It’s terrifying. It’s corrupt. It’s wrong. It's wrong," she admitted.
One of the first private messages Ortega received at the age of 12 contained a picture of male genitalia. "And that was just the beginning," she recalls.
Ortega avoids her phone and values time in nature
For Ortega, the best way to avoid the negative impact of social media and maintain mental health is to spend time outdoors. The actress believes that time spent away from the digital world helps her regain balance and maintain mental health.
Where will Ortega be seen soon?
The star of "Wednesday" will appear in Tim Burton's movie Beetlejuice at the beginning of September. The actress will star alongside Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, who also appeared in the film in 1988.
