WeChat targets deepfake celebrity scams in latest crackdown on misuse of generative AI
WeChat said it deleted 532 examples of AI-generated deepfake content and shut 209 accounts that used the technology in marketing videos
WeChat, the ubiquitous social media app operated by Tencent Holdings, has vowed to crack down on the rising number of advertising scams that use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to create deepfakes of celebrities from Chinese doctor Zhang Wenhong to Hong Kong actor Raymond Wong Pak-ming.
The app has taken targeted measures against “violations that misuse AI to impersonate well-known figures for improper marketing and [to] maliciously attract traffic”, according to a WeChat announcement on Sunday.
WeChat said it has deleted 532 examples of such content and shut down 209 accounts that used deepfake celebrities in marketing videos, adding that it vows to intensify its efforts against the practice.
“[We will] further enhance our capabilities and levels of technological governance and maintain a healthy ecosystem,” WeChat said in the statement, while it urged content creators to comply with regulations and platform rules.
The crackdown comes as more attention is being paid to deepfake video content on social media, especially the use of AI to impersonate public figures to promote products.
