Recently, a large number of influencers on Chinese social media platforms have praised China while unauthorizedly using the face of a female YouTuber.
According to SBS, on the 24th, Olga Loiek, a YouTuber from Ukraine, discovered several women who looked exactly like her on Chinese social media.
April, who introduced herself as a Chinese student from Russia, said through social media that she had been living in China for 8 years and wanted to marry a Chinese man and settle in China. She also continued to make China-friendly remarks, such as “I like China” and “I hope the friendship between China and Russia lasts forever.” Fluent in Chinese, April is a well-known influencer for her positive comments about China.
Another woman named Natasha is an influencer with 140,000 followers. In a video she posted on social media, she praised the friendship between China and Russia and promoted Russian candy, providing a link to encourage candy purchases.
But April’s and Natasha’s faces were strangely identical. The original face was YouTuber Olga Loiek, and these influencers were virtual characters created using AI deepfake technology.
Ms. Loiek was shocked to find out that her face was being misappropriated on Chinese social media. “Initially, I was a little confused and thought it was a joke. It was my face speaking Chinese, and the Kremlin was in the background,” she said.
She discovered over 5,000 AI virtual character videos using her face and voice. Most of these videos praise China, and in some cases, they sell products and make a profit.
As AI-generated images like Loiek’s misuse become more common, Chinese authorities are reportedly preparing legislation for AI development and regulation.
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