Michel Janse deepfake used for advert without consent

Occurred: March 2024

Michel Janse, a Christian social media influencer, had her face likeness used in a YouTube advert without her consent. 

The ad featured Janse’s face “in her bedroom, wearing her clothes” to sell erectile dysfunction pills. Janse Experts speculated the advertisement had been generated by an AI trained on Janse’s regular posts on travel, home decor and wedding planning.

Janse complained to YouTube, which took the advert down. 

The incident highlights how AI technologies are being used to clone people’s likeness and use them in digital ads. It also underscores the potential harm and violation of personal rights that can occur when personal images are used to train AI systems without consent. 

System 🤖

Incident databank 🔢


Operator: YouTube

Developer:

Country: USA

Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts

Purpose: Generate video

Technology: Deepfake - video

Issue: Personality rights; Mis/disinformation; Privacy

Transparency: Governance