A recent report by the Daily Mail reveals a concerning surge in celebrity deepfake porn. An 87% increase in content use compared to the previous year. Even more alarming is the 400% rise in cases where private individuals have become targets of this disturbing trend.
YouTube giant Mr. Beast informed his 24 million Twitter followers that he had been a victim of such a scheme. He also asks if it’s possible to be controlled by social media platforms. “Lots of people are getting this deepfake scam ad of me,” Mr. Beast tweeted. “Are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes?”
Other personalities that got faked
Several celebrities, including Mr. Beast and Tom Hanks, have recently been targeted in online scams and campaigns where their likenesses and voices are used without permission. Tom Hanks warned his fans about a dental plan campaign featuring an AI-generated version of himself on Instagram. Additionally, the late Robin Williams’ daughter expressed her disapproval of campaigns using her father’s voice in commercial content on Instagram.
Numerous television news figures, such as Gayle King from CBS, Tucker Carlson from Fox News, and Bill Maher from HBO, have appeared in widely circulated deepfake content.
A Sunday report by the Daily Mail reveals that prurient interests are exploiting the likenesses of female actresses. The report includes Taylor Swift, Natalie Portman, and Emma Watson in deepfake pornography. The report, referencing security firm ActiveFence, indicates an 87 percent increase in celebrity deepfake porn from the previous year. Which is a 400 percent rise in the targeting of private individuals.
AI technology is not exclusive to actors; for instance, in August, singer Selena Gomez experienced an AI audio deepfake on Instagram. This involved a counterfeit version of the artist singing a remix of The Weeknd’s “Starboy.”
