Video of suspected AI impersonating a disabled person to sell goods causes outrage

Account using AI to impersonate seller. Photo: TikTok .

With the emergence of a series of advanced AI tools in recent times, creating photos and videos has become much simpler with just a few commands. However, the ability of internet users to distinguish between real and fake has not kept up with that development, and has been exploited by some subjects for profit.

Recently, a TikTok account has been spreading on social media, posting a series of videos about a woman with both arms amputated and having to sell goods to support her young children. In the clips, this person wears simple clothes, speaks sympathetically to introduce products such as paper towels and detergent.

According to the record, the woman shared her husband's situation of early death due to an accident, having to raise a small child alone, but the story was not consistent through the videos. The account received more than millions of views and interactions, increasing 100,000 followers in 3 days of creating the channel. Many people expressed sympathy, called for support and even ordered products to help.

Users continue to discover accounts with similar content. What these channels have in common is that they are newly created personal pages, have no real interaction history, and often share overly emotional content.

These channels are often new and do not have a clear profile.

However, after a while, netizens noticed something unusual and incoherent in each video. For example, the woman's amputated arm looked very smooth, the house's wall paint was different, or the baby lay unusually still. The reason was because all the clips were created by AI to fool others.

It is worth noting that the warning or exposing comments were hidden or deleted by the account owner. Many people felt offended at being deceived, as well as indignant at the behavior of profiting from the sympathy of the people.

In addition, these fake videos also affect the owners and other disabled people who are making a living on the same platform. Ms. Tran Thi Nga (36 years old) in Phu Tho , owner of the Nga Tich Cuc channel, had to continuously speak up that she really had an amputated arm.

At the end of 2024, this person contracted acute viral myocarditis and was forced to have all of her limbs amputated, starting life over with the love of her family. In a recent livestream, she expressed her sadness at being doubted and receiving harsh words.

These newly created channels also quickly acquired a high number of followers, making it harder to differentiate. Another account with similar content named NLS increased by nearly 50,000 followers after just one video.

Users expressed indignation and loss of trust when being deceived.

Therefore, it is not possible to blame the online community for gradually losing faith in what they see, and thus no longer caring for those who truly need help. One comment said that those who use AI technology to exploit the emotions of the community should be condemned.

Cyber fraud schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting people with little contact or the elderly. Most account holders use images of people suffering from trauma, such as hospitalization or disability, then attach shopping carts or leave account numbers to call for support.

Previously, CNBC discovered more than 30 Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok accounts using AI to impersonate people with Down syndrome. These individuals used heartbreaking stories to attract followers and call for community fundraising, but in reality, they appropriated the accounts for themselves.

The incident warns of the possibility of AI’s ability to reproduce realistic content being exploited by bad actors. As technology develops rapidly, users need to popularize it, as well as help their loved ones to avoid becoming victims of online scams.

Source: https://znews.vn/video-nghi-ai-gia-nguoi-khuet-tat-ban-hang-gay-buc-xuc-post1598306.html