When AI Impersonates Real People

AI can fake any famous person's voice or face. Tom Hanks, Elon Musk, and many actors have publicly disowned AI versions of themselves used in scam ads.

In 2023-2024, scam ads on Facebook and YouTube featured deepfaked celebrities promoting crypto schemes. Many viewers believed them.

Three signs of celebrity AI scams

• Real celebrities don't promote get-rich-quick schemes
• 'Limited time' urgency
• Payment via crypto or wire (untraceable)

The big idea: If a celebrity is endorsing something on a random ad, assume it is a deepfake.

Practice this safely

Try this with a school, hobby, or family example where the stakes are low. Use the AI output as a draft you can question, not as the final answer.

1. 1Ask AI to explain celebrity deepfake in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
2. 2Give it one detail from "When AI Impersonates Real People" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
3. 3Check endorsement scam against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.