Ukrainian YouTuber Olga Loiek expressed anger and shock upon discovering "deepfake" videos of herself circulating on Chinese social media platforms. The videos, which she describes as "propaganda narratives," falsely portray her endorsing closer ties between Russia and China.
In a YouTube video, she shared her dismay, urging viewers to stay informed about the rise of AI-generated content.
Ms Loiek recounted how she first became aware of her "clones" when followers alerted her to their existence. After digging deeper, she found her likeness being used to promote Russian products in China, perpetuating narratives of Sino-Russian friendship. She said that it was distressing for her, given her Ukrainian background and the misleading content of the videos.
"It is one thing to see funny deepfakes in Instagram Reels, and it is another to receive a message saying that your face has been reused for propaganda purposes in China... It has been difficult to paint the picture of what's happening and I wanted to share this story with you - please stay informed as we enter the age of AI-generated content," Ms Loiek said.
Ukrainian YouTuber Olga Loiek claimed that, in her investigation, she found that she was not the only one whose face was being used in circulating videos on Chinese social media platforms. She came to know that another individual from Sweden also found their identity exploited in similar AI-generated videos, promoting false desires to remain in China and marry a Chinese citizen.
The video, which was shared in January, has amassed over 77,000 views and attracted various comments from concerned viewers.
YouTube users expressed solidarity with Ms Loiek, condemning the deceptive use of her image. A Chinese viewer vowed to report the videos to raise awareness, while others emphasised the alarming implications and suggested reporting the issue to the relevant platform.
Despite Ms Loiek's efforts to report the fakes, she expressed frustration at their continued online presence.
"As a Chinese person, I am very angry that someone has done such a thing. I will file a complaint on relevant websites to let more people know that they have been deceived," a YouTube user remarked.
"Your video was uploaded to China and it is very popular in China, but many people do not know the real facts. As a Chinese, I am very sorry for your situation," a second said.
"As a Chinese, I am deeply sorry for what you are experiencing. I recommend reporting this issue to the platform, Bilibili in this case. The infringers are likely to have their accounts suspended and lose their followers," a third added.
