AI-generated videos featuring stars like IU and Son Heung-min have been circulating online. South Korean government agencies have pledged to respond. They aim to address the sharp rise in celebrity deepfake gambling ads on social media platforms.
Realistic-looking videos seem to show IU, an A-list South Korean singer and actress. In the videos, she is holding a smartphone running a casino app.
Similar videos feature soccer star Son Heung-min. They appear to show him speaking in Korean and encouraging viewers to download a gambling app.
Other deepfake videos feature actor Lee Jung-jae and BTS pop star RM. These videos have appeared on numerous video-sharing platforms.
The videos feature logos, as well as marketing material ripped from the operator of the High1 casino, Kangwon Land. Others use material from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In South Korea, online gambling is illegal. Experts warn that the ads are misleading. They use government and licensed casino logos and themes to make people believe they are legal.
The ads feature sophisticatedly manipulated videos. Numerous deepfake videos featured footage of celebrities appearing to personally recommend using a gambling app.
Eight other videos were also discovered. They used composite news footage from terrestrial broadcasters like MBC and KBS to make the content appear as official broadcasts about gambling sites.
The media outlet wrote that the videos have been synthesized with remarkable precision. Even the voices and mouth movements are difficult to distinguish from bona fide broadcasts.
Two dozen ads made illegal use of the official logos of government ministries, as well as major business operators. They made use of phrases such as government-certified and legally-operated.
Around a dozen more make unauthorized use of characters from well-known companies. These include Donghaeng Lottery, Kakao, a chat app operator, as well as major convenience store brands.
