Deepfake dilemma! News icons warn public as manipulated videos spread; here's what happened

livemint.com:

deepfakes exploiting images of respected news personalities in misleading advertisements, eroding trust in the credibility of news media. Over the past few months, comparable incidents on social media have aimed at figures such as Fox News personality Jesse Watters, CBC host Ian Hanomansing, and BBC stars Matthew Amroliwala and Sally Bundock. In certain instances, the journalists have taken to their own accounts to counter these misleading depictions.

"I've never heard of this product or used it! Please don't be fooled by these AI videos," said King on Instagram in October. Upon coming across videos depicting him purportedly endorsing cannabis products, CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta issued a cautionary message, ""These scams have nothing to do with me... my primary concern is for your health, and I do worry you could be harmed if you take these products." The manipulated videos promote a range of dubious offerings, from unverified treatments to investment schemes, often pledging "guaranteed income" or opportunities to acquire sought-after shares.

Certain clips even feature manipulated footage of billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX. Moreover, these videos may include links to investment schemes, unauthorized products, or unrelated e-commerce websites that vanish after a few days. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, implemented a ban on deepfakes in early 2020, with some allowances for parody and satire.