Deepfake Pierce Brosnan scam cripples art gallery
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Occurred: August 2024
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A deepfake scam involving an AI-generated version of actor Pierce Brosnan resulted in the rip-off of art enthusiasts and the closure of an art gallery.
What happened
What happened
Simone Simms, the owner of SMS Art Gallery in Nottingham, spent months negotiating with what she believed to be Pierce Brosnan for an exclusive art exhibition. Brosnan is a keen painter.
The gallery advertised the event, selling tickets for up to GBP 500 for a meet-and-greet with the actor.
However, the real Pierce Brosnan denied any involvement with the exhibition and event, saying he would "never charge for a meet and greet" and that his attorney had sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gallery.
The exhibition and meet-and-greet were revealed to be a deepfake scam, leaving the gallery owner's livelihood and reputation in ruins.
Ms Simms refunded the GBP 20,000 of sold tickets but was forced to shut her gallery.
Why it happened
Why it happened
The sophistication of deepfake technology, which allows for the creation of highly convincing fake audio and video content, means it is increasingly easy to run scams.
What it means
What it means
The incident resulted in severe financial losses, the closure of Simms' business and damage to her professional reputation. For Pierce Brosnan, the unauthorised use of his likeness could potentially harm his public image and future business opportunities.
More broadly, the case highlights the growing threat of deepfake technology in various sectors, including the art world and entertainment industry.
It also highlights the need for improved detection methods, legal frameworks, and public awareness to combat the misuse of deepfake technology.
Deepfake
Deepfakes (a portmanteau of 'deep learning' and 'fake') are images, videos, or audio which are edited or generated using artificial intelligence tools, and which may depict real or non-existent people. They are a type of synthetic media.
Source: Wikipedia 🔗
System 🤖
System 🤖
Unknown
Operator:
Developer:
Country: UK
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Defraud
Technology: Deepfake
Issue: Impersonation; Fraud
Page info
Type: Incident
Published: February 2025
Page updated
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