MrBeast slams deepfake video of him announcing iPhone giveaway: ‘This is a serious problem’
A fake video that appears to feature Jimmy Donaldson — better known as “MrBeast” (@mrbeast) — is making its way around the internet this week, which has prompted the famous YouTuber to issue a PSA.
“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,” the influencer wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
According to Donaldson, the video appears to show the influencer urging people to click a specific link in order to win an iPhone 15. It’s almost believable since Donaldson has built his YouTube following by doing increasingly grandiose stunts and giveaways.
But the person on camera isn’t him — it’s an AI-generated image. TikTok has since taken down the ad, but screen recordings are still being shared on social media.
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 pic.twitter.com/llkhxswQSw
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) October 3, 2023
As realistic as the video may seem, there are some telltale signs that it’s a deepfake.
For one thing, the voice on screen doesn’t sound like Donaldson, and the lip-synching doesn’t totally match up. The video also claims to be about a giveaway, and yet the prize isn’t free. Instead, the AI version of Donaldson says that anyone viewing the clip is “one of the 10,000 lucky people” who are eligible to get a free iPhone 15 (valued starting at $799) for just $2.
In response, people are now weighing in on how realistic it looks.
“i’m not gonna lie that’s pretty impressive that they can even do that,” wrote @InternetH0F. “it’s just how stupid people are to fall for that.”
“Has to be kids falling for it I imagine tbh,” replied @LockIsLive.
“That is SCARY,” declared @LuluLuvely.
Whoever created the deepfake did go to great lengths to make it look real. Donaldson’s logo and TikTok username — complete with a verified checkmark — appear in the lower lefthand corner of the video, just as they would in a real video. While many AI videos struggle to accurately portray a person’s hands, this one hides them from view completely.
Deepfakes have unfortunately become a serious problem as AI technology continues its rise.
Recently, Tom Hanks had to issue his own PSA to fans over a deepfake that used his likeness.
“BEWARE!!” the actor warned in an Instagram post. “There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.”
Zelda Williams, the daughter of late actor Robin Williams, also recently spoke out about AI-generated images of her dad and warned about the danger they pose.
“These recreations are… a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is,” Zelda wrote in an Instagram Story, according to EW. “I am not an impartial voice in SAG’s fight against AI. I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad.
“This isn’t theoretical,” she added, “it is very very real.”
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