AI deepfakes have become a growing problem now more than ever. Social media is riddled with ads using the faces of popular personalities without their consent and knowledge, and MrBeast is among the latest victims.
It's Not a Real Giveaway This Time
In the slim chance that you don't know who MrBeast is, he is a well-recognized content creator on YouTube and holds the title of having the most-subscribed channel, excluding companies. He is known for giving away houses, cars, and other expensive assets to random strangers.
This is an important context since the fake ad with his AI deepfake likeness is offering the latest iPhone model to 10,000 viewers for just $2. It sounds a lot like something the 25-year-old YouTuber would do, making the scam convincing.
Other than that, some people might not be able to discern scams from real offers. Some deepfakes are actually quite convincing, especially since scammers also synthesize the voice of the person and add dialogue to the fake advertisements.
According to Tech Crunch, TikTok uses both human and AI moderation to sift through ads before they are approved. Since it slipped through the cracks, the ad might've been reviewed by AI, which means that the platform's AI moderator missed the AI-generated ad.
The short-form video app says that the ad was already removed just a few hours after it was posted, stating that it violated TikTok's advertising policies. The involved policy states that advertisers must disclose if they are using synthetic or manipulated media.
That means that deepfake content is actually permitted in the app. The condition is that the fact must be indicated to avoid misinformation, but that's not always followed. Even Facebook has deepfake ads, such as Elon Musk advertising an app that pays users to watch YouTube videos.
A Growing Problem
Sadly, this is just one of many instances where advertisers are using the likeness of artists and influencers to lure engagements. Just recently, "Saving Private Ryan" actor Tom Hanks has also been the victim of deepfake ads.
Hanks called out the fake dental plan ad that emerged from social media. Through Instagram, he stated: "BEWARE!! There's a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it," as reported by The Guardian.
It served as a warning to his 9.5 million followers on the social media app who may fall for the scam. In this case, Hanks was fortunate enough to have spotted the ad so that he could deny any involvement, but the same cannot be said for others.
Deepfakes and other AI-generated media aren't only affecting advertisements. People who have access to AI tools have been creating music content as well using the voices of mainstream artists like Drake and The Weekend.
This highlights more pressing concerns that AI might bring, such as voice actors and artists being replaced by AI tools, as well as scammers having more advanced tools on their hands to execute more convincing fraudulent activities.
