In an effort to promote Chinese culture and patriotism, various Chinese social media sites showcased numerous AI-generated videos featuring non-Chinese women speaking in Mandarin. These videos gained popularity leading up to the Lunar New Year celebrations.

The characters in the videos are generated using images found online that are taken without permission, duplicated, and used for a different purpose. This results in the actual women in the videos being able to identify themselves.

Olga Loiek is a young woman from Ukraine who is 20 years old and currently pursuing a degree in cognitive science at the University of Pennsylvania. Recently, she created a YouTube channel to discuss mental health and share her personal beliefs about life.

But not long after, she began receiving notifications from her followers informing her that she had been spotted on Chinese social media. On these platforms, she is not referred to as Olga Loiek, but instead as a Russian woman who is fluent in Mandarin, expresses affection for China, and desires to wed a Chinese man. Her aliases may include Natasha, Anna, or Grace, depending on the specific platform found in China.

“I began using Google Translate to translate the videos, and I noticed that many of these accounts discuss topics such as China and Russia and their favorable relationship,” she informed VOA. “This experience feels quite invasive.”

Some videos feature avatars discussing the strong relationship between Russia and China. In other videos, they compliment Chinese history and culture, or discuss the interest of Russian women in marrying Chinese partners.

An avatar spoke, saying that if you were to marry a Russian woman, they would take care of household chores such as laundry, cooking, and dishwashing for you on a daily basis. Additionally, they promised to provide you with as many foreign babies as you desired.

Numerous recordings showing Loiek’s animated character speaking Mandarin have been discovered on the video platforms Douyin and Bilibili. Many of these profiles would prompt viewers to check out their online shops and purchase supposedly genuine Russian products.

Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, has labeled some of these videos as potentially AI-generated. But comments show that many believed they were looking at a real woman. One netizen wrote, “Russian beauty, Chinese people welcome you.”

Loiek said she would never say things like that, obviously, given that she’s from Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since 2022.

She suggested that the purpose of this may be make individuals, particularly those from China, believe that foreign countries see their nation as more superior.

Some videos on Bilibili, the largest video platform in China, feature AI technology using Loiek’s appearance and are identified with the HeyGen logo, signifying that they were created on the company’s website.

During a tutorial on Bilibili, the presenter demonstrates how to create a brief video on HeyGen featuring a clip of Loiek speaking.

HeyGen is a Los Angeles-based AI company that was established in China in 2020. It is known for its expertise in creating lifelike digital avatars, generating voices, and translating videos.

HeyGen’s technology was utilized in creating viral AI videos of both Donald Trump and Taylor Swift speaking Mandarin flawlessly on Chinese social media in October 2023. Recently, Forbes reported that the company’s value has risen to $75 million.

HeyGen’s moderation policy states that users cannot generate avatars that “represent real individuals, including celebrities or public figures, without explicit consent.” The company’s official tutorial video on avatar making shows that users must submit a video of people giving consent to the use of their likeness. It’s unclear how some in China could circumvent the requirement to make videos of Loiek.

Loiek stated that after she and her YouTube followers filed complaints to Chinese social media platforms, approximately twelve accounts mimicking her have been removed.

VOA has attempted to contact HeyGen and Douyin’s parent company, ByteDance, for a response, but has not yet received one.

The Chinese government implemented rules to control the production of deepfakes and other “deep synthesis services” by 2023. The legislation forbids the creation of deepfakes without the permission of those whose image or personal information is utilized.

Loiek uploaded her account on YouTube and it has been circulated on social media in China. People from various online platforms expressed their compassion towards her and demanded stricter laws for AI.

Major Chinese technology companies like Baidu and Tencent are making significant investments in AI technology. Among the most talked about services utilizing AI are digital humanoids.

Tencent and Xiaoice, a Chinese artificial intelligence company that separated from Microsoft, provides virtual human services which can replicate individuals and convert them into AI avatars for a minimal cost of $145.

AI-generated virtual characters have been identified in online misinformation efforts that propagate pro-China and anti-U.S. stories. In February 2023, the research company Graphika uncovered a social media campaign promoting the agenda of Beijing, featuring lifelike CGI individuals in fabricated videos.

In a report issued by the U.S. State Department in September 2023, it was cautioned that granting the PRC (People’s Republic of China) access to worldwide data in combination with advancements in artificial intelligence could potentially allow them to strategically influence foreign audiences, potentially impacting economic and security decisions in their favor.

Loiek has no intentions of leaving YouTube or discontinuing her posts.

She stated the necessity for regulatory measures to comprehend and prevent such occurrences.

Adrianna Zhang made a contribution to this report.

Source: voanews.com