Amy Perez warns video of her endorsing menopause drug is fake | Image: Instagram/@amypcastillo
Actress-host Amy Perez is the latest celebrity to be victimized by fake product endorsements on social media using deepfake technology through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to make it appear as if she was actually the one dubbing the words in the video.
In her Instagram post, the “It’s Showtime” host said she is not in any way connected to an advertisement promoting a menopausal drug, as she warned viewers not to believe anything they see on social media.
She said the deepfake video made use of an old clip of her now-defunct morning show, but set it using an AI-generated voice that was uncannily similar to hers.
“Fake ads. Mag ingat po tayo (let’s all be careful). I don’t use that product and never ako nag review nyan (I never did a review on the product). Ginamit ang interview namin ni Doc at gumamit sila ng AI para palabasin na boses ko at sinabi ko ang brand na ito (My interview with a doctor was edited to make it appear I’m endorsing this brand). I did not authorize the use of my picture here.” she wrote on Instagram.
Perez said as much in her interview with TV Patrol, as she lamented how technology was now being taken advantaged of by fraudsters.
“Talagang pinakinggan ko parang boses ko talaga ang galing pero sobrang nakakatakot… Hindi ko tinatake ‘yung gamot na ‘yon ever (I really listened to it, and it was as if it were my real voice. It was edited well, but it was so scary. I have never taken that medicine),” she said of the deepfake video.
Mag ingat po tayo mga Kapamilya! https://t.co/D0AFxTwplK
— Amy Perez (@tyangamyp) April 10, 2024
In the deepfake video, Perez could be seen speaking in front of the camera, but there was a slight change in the tone of her voice.
The “It’s Showtime” host was deeply concerned about the people who tend to fall into the trap of the said deepfake video.
“Ang nakakalungkot doon ang daming babaeng nagcomment na puro tinatanong nila magkano ‘yung produkto,” she expressed.
(The sad thing is that there are a lot of women commenting on the video, asking how much the product is.)
In a report by the New York Times, the A.I. Software is being taken advantage of to distort videos and images of public figures to make digital puppets that “blur the line between fact and fiction to an extraordinary degree.”
Experts remind the public to remain critical and skeptical of the information they consume on the internet, given the spread of deep fake videos, which contributes to a more alarming rise of disinformation and misinformation.