YouTube Removes Ads Featuring AI-Generated Celebrity Deepfakes

YouTube has reportedly removed over a thousand ads that fraudulently used AI-generated video and audio of celebrities to sell scams. 

The removals came after an investigation by 404 Media revealed ads featuring the likenesses of Taylor Swift, Joe Rogan, Steve Harvey and others were used to pitch a Medicare-related scam.

The 404 Media article quoted a Google spokesperson as saying the company is “reviewing the ads shared with us and have already removed several for violating our policy against clickbait and sensationalist tactics.”

The spokesperson said that the company is aware that fake ads using AI-generated versions of celebrities has become a trend on YouTube and will be investing in new ways to detect and investigate perpetrators. 

“We’ve also taken appropriate action against the associated accounts. We are constantly working to enhance our enforcement systems in order to stay ahead of the latest trends and scam tactics, and ensure that we can respond to emerging threats quickly,” they added. 

Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled the No AI FRAUD Act, which would impose penalties for using a person’s AI-generated likeness or voice without permission. The bill attracted support from unions representing actors and musicians, who said AI-related fraud poses a risk to individual and intellectual property rights.