A new wave of AI-generated influencers is taking over Instagram, built on content stolen from real porn stars and models without their consent. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta company appears to be taking no action against a scam called “AI pimping.”
wired report A growing industry of “AI pumping” is flooding social media with deepfake influencers, taking over platforms like Instagram with artificially generated profiles. These AI influencers are often trained using photos and videos stolen from real porn stars and Instagram models. Create fake but convincing new content by replacing realistic AI-generated faces with human bodies.
The practice has exploded in scale in recent months, with Mark Zuckerbeg's Instagram proving unable or unwilling to stop being flooded with AI-generated profiles. The study examined more than 1,000 such accounts, 10% of which contained deepfake videos that captured the appearance of real women. Some of these accounts self-identify as “virtual models” generated by AI, while others do not provide disclosures.
Porn stars say they are now in direct competition with AI impersonators and are losing income. Adult actress Elaina St. James said her reach and views on Instagram have plummeted due to the proliferation of AI accounts. “It's because I'm competing with something unnatural,” she said.
Creating these fake profiles is easier than ever, thanks to the plethora of easily accessible AI tools and “how-to” guides available online. For less than $200, anyone can purchase an in-depth video course on “AI Pumping.” The guide recommends using a variety of apps to generate realistic faces, bodies, and personas. Some apps are available in the Apple and Google app stores. There are even “one-stop-shop” websites that streamline the entire process of launching an AI influencer.
The people behind the accounts (mostly men) use them to drive followers to pay-per-view porn sites, subscription services, and “dating” chat services. A step-by-step strategy will be taught to seduce lonely men and make them spend more and more money communicating with the AI model.
Some “AI pimps” openly brag about how lucrative their illegal cottage industry is. “Professor EP,” the creator of a popular how-to guide, claims to have made over $1 million from AI influencer “Emily Pellegrini” within six months. EP brazenly promotes deepfake technology in its courses while maintaining a veneer of plausible deniability.
Researchers say Instagram's drive for engagement and ad revenue appears to be inhibiting a full-scale crackdown. “Instagram can sell this as traffic,” says Alexios Mantsaris of Cornell Tech. “You can sell ads against this. So is there a future where real human accounts become like the elite few on Instagram? I think so.”
St. James agrees. “What happens to advertising if you suddenly remove all the bots, dead accounts, fake accounts, fake accounts?”
read more wired here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
