In another case of scammers abusing AI, actor Tom Hanks is warning the public about online ads stealing his likeness to fraudulently promote “miracle cures and wonder drugs.”“These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI,” Hanks wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, alerting the public. According to Hanks, multiple ads have appeared online using his likeness and voice by tapping AI programs that deepfake a person’s identity. Techniques include swapping a celebrity’s face over your own to cloning the target’s voice, making it say anything. Hanks didn’t directly identify the ads. But one of them involves the scammers reusing footage of his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and manipulating his face and voice to tout a “17-second grape trick” to reverse type 2 diabetes in less than three weeks.
(Credit: YouTuber Jordan Liles)
“It was a miracle in my life,” Hanks says in the clip in what sounds like his voice. But if you look closer, you can see signs that Hanks’ lips have been edited to match the words to the voice. In Thursday’s Instagram post, Hanks said pointedly: “I have nothing to do with these posts or the products and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures. I have type 2 diabetes, and I ONLY work with my board-certified doctor regarding my treatment.”“DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY,” he later added.
Recommended by Our Editors
Hanks posted the warning nearly a year after alerting the public about a similar AI-manipulated video that fraudulently used his likeness to promote a dental plan. Meanwhile, other celebrities, including Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, have become favored targets of scammers in their AI-powered schemes. To stop such scams, the FTC is considering new rules and measures to crack down on the activities, including sanctioning companies that provide AI tools known to be used for impersonation fraud.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for SecurityWatch newsletter for our top privacy and security stories delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
I’ve been with PCMag since October 2017, covering a wide range of topics, including consumer electronics, cybersecurity, social media, networking, and gaming. Prior to working at PCMag, I was a foreign correspondent in Beijing for over five years, covering the tech scene in Asia.
Read Michael’s full bio
Read the latest from Michael Kan
