TikTok ran an advertisement featuring an AI-generated deepfake version of MrBeast claiming to give out iPhone 15s for $2 as part of a 10,000 phone giveaway.
The sponsored video, which Insider viewed on the app on Monday, looked official as it included MrBeast's logo and a blue check mark next to his name. But to internet-savvy users, the fingerprints of AI manipulation were clear. The YouTuber's voice sounded distorted and his mouth movements appeared uncanny.
"Only boomers would fall for this shit," one user commented on the ad.
"Wow! TikTok you're so good at moderating ads," another added.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, confirmed that the ad wasn't genuine in a social-media post.
"Lots of people are getting this deepfake scam ad of me… are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes? This is a serious problem," he wrote.
When asked for comment, a TikTok spokesperson said the company removed the ad within a few hours of its posting and took down the account associated with it for policy violations.
On its ads policy page, TikTok said it prohibits "synthetic media that contains the likeness (visual or audio) of a real person." The company also blocks ads that include trademark infringements and other misuse of intellectual property. "Advertisers are responsible for ensuring that any synthetic media which contains a public figure has consent from the public figure to be used in an ad in this way," the company wrote.
A representative for MrBeast declined to comment.
Unauthorized AI-generated content featuring celebrities has become increasingly common in the world of platform advertising. Two days ago, Tom Hanks posted a warning to fans about a promotional video hawking a dental plan that featured an unapproved AI version of himself. Elon Musk and Leo DiCaprio have run into similar challenges.
The problem is likely to get worse as AI technology improves and becomes more widely available.
"Realism, efficiency, and accessibility or democratization means that now this is essentially in the hands of everyday people," Henry Ajder, an academic researcher and expert in generative AI and deepfakes, told Insider. "It really is a quite profound moment and this really is the tip of the iceberg."
Not all AI-generated ad content featuring celebrities is inherently bad, as a recent campaign coordinated between Lionel Messi and Lay's demonstrates. The key is transparency.
"If someone releases an AI-generated advert without disclosure, even if it's perfectly benign, I still think that should be labeled and should be positioned to an audience in the way that they can understand," Ajder said.
TikTok is aware that AI-generated content has become pervasive on its platform, as deepfake versions of Tom Cruise, President Biden, and former President Trump have gone viral, and AI-generated songs tied to artists like Drake have become commonplace.
Last month, the company released a new tool to help creators label AI content and said it would start testing ways to label AI-generated content automatically.
"AI enables incredible creative opportunities, but can potentially confuse or mislead viewers if they're not aware content was generated or edited with AI," the company wrote.