"Don't Be Fooled by Tom Hanks Promoting Miracle Cure"…The Real One Is Angry

Tom Hanks "There Is an Ad Using My Face"
Taylor Swift and Joe Biden Also Victims of Deepfake Scams

Hollywood star Tom Hanks has urged people not to be deceived by deepfake advertisements using artificial intelligence (AI).

On the night of the 29th (local time), Hanks posted on Instagram, saying, "There are several ads on the internet promoting miracle cures and special remedies using my name and likeness, as well as my voice," and added, "I have no connection whatsoever with these posts, products, treatments, or the people advertising them."

Tom Hanks [Photo by Yonhap News]

He emphasized, "These are fraudulent advertisements created through AI without my permission. Don't be fooled and lose the hard-earned money you have."

He also added, "I have type 2 diabetes, and I only receive treatment from certified doctors."

Last October, Hanks also warned about fake ads, saying, "There is a video promoting dental insurance using my AI version."

Such deepfake scams using the images of celebrities continue unabated. In January of this year, controversy arose when sexually exploitative images with the face of pop star Taylor Swift were circulated online.

In November last year, Scarlett Johansson's lawyer announced legal action against a company that used AI to synthesize Johansson's photos and voice for product promotion.

Tom Hanks urges not to fall for AI scams on Instagram
[Image source=Captured from Tom Hanks' Instagram]

Not only celebrities but also politicians have not escaped this. Around the same time, ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Democratic Party members received 'audio deepfake' calls using fake voices similar to President Joe Biden's, encouraging them to abstain from voting.

It was confirmed that these calls were created by political consultant Steve Kramer, who had signed a large contract with the campaign of Representative Dean Phillips (Minnesota), who was running in the Democratic presidential primary.

Recently, deepfake sexual exploitation materials have emerged as a major social issue in Korea.

Security service company 'Security Hero' revealed in its recently published '2023 Deepfake Status' report that 53% of the individuals appearing in deepfake sexual exploitation materials are of Korean nationality. The second place was the United States (20%), followed by Japan (10%), showing a significant gap. This analysis was based on 85 deepfake channels on the top 10 deepfake porn websites, YouTube, and Dailymotion from July to August last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.