A series of online ads promoting a self-help course called ‘Genie Script’ use deepfake technology to falsely imply endorsements from celebrities including Piers Morgan, Nigella Lawson and Oprah Winfrey. He has been criticized for using .
The ad is selling a $37 manifesto course created by Wesley “Billion Dollar” Virgin, the BBC reports. Wesley “Billion Dollar” Virgin, a self-proclaimed motivational coach with over 1 million followers on Instagram, claims that the 20-word Genie script comes from the “lost” Hebrew Bible. Bible. The manipulated ad shows celebrities attributing their success and wealth to Virgin’s guidance and Genie Script.
The ad prompted these celebrities to praise Wesley’s successThe ad manipulated footage of Nigella Lawson talking about recipes and experiences, overlaid with an indistinguishable AI-generated voice that attributed her success to the guidance of Wesley Virgin. The AI voice claimed that Virgin’s script unlocks the secrets of manifestation and touts a daily mantra that delivers transformative results.
Another deepfake ad mimicked parts of Piers Morgan’s uncensored TV show. The manipulated voice spoke of “lost old scriptures” used by kings for wealth, healing, and love. Piers Morgan condemned this trend, highlighting the alarming abuse of public figures by deepfake AI operators solely for financial gain, and highlighting the potential harm to unsuspecting consumers. .
Additional deepfakes featuring Oprah Winfrey have surfaced on meta-platforms Facebook and Instagram. In this case, real footage was overlaid with his AI-generated dialogue to make it appear that Winfrey was endorsing Virgin’s products. The real Oprah strongly distanced herself, emphasizing her intention to protect consumers from false associations and abuse of AI in advertising.
YouTube deleted the video
Representatives for Morgan, Lawson and Winfrey strongly condemned the ad, saying they had no connection to Virgin or its products. Digital forensics expert Hany Farid confirmed that the manipulated video was a deepfake. These ads were removed because they violated YouTube’s policies against defaced content and have since been removed from the platform.
Virgin initially claimed the ads were independently created by “affiliates” who helped generate sales and earned commissions. However, Virgin actively recruits and coaches its team online, actively promotes its courses on social media, and frequently uses dubious claims about the origins and validity of its scripts.
Theology professor Nathan McDonald has debunked claims that the script comes from an extremely rare 11th century Hebrew Bible that was recently put up for auction. The video also promotes seemingly anti-Semitic claims about Jewish wealth and prosperity gospel concepts. Outrage from high-profile celebrities and policy violations have led Digistore24 to end its business relationship with Virgin.
The ad is selling a $37 manifesto course created by Wesley “Billion Dollar” Virgin, the BBC reports. Wesley “Billion Dollar” Virgin, a self-proclaimed motivational coach with over 1 million followers on Instagram, claims that the 20-word Genie script comes from the “lost” Hebrew Bible. Bible. The manipulated ad shows celebrities attributing their success and wealth to Virgin’s guidance and Genie Script.
The ad prompted these celebrities to praise Wesley’s successThe ad manipulated footage of Nigella Lawson talking about recipes and experiences, overlaid with an indistinguishable AI-generated voice that attributed her success to the guidance of Wesley Virgin. The AI voice claimed that Virgin’s script unlocks the secrets of manifestation and touts a daily mantra that delivers transformative results.
Another deepfake ad mimicked parts of Piers Morgan’s uncensored TV show. The manipulated voice spoke of “lost old scriptures” used by kings for wealth, healing, and love. Piers Morgan condemned this trend, highlighting the alarming abuse of public figures by deepfake AI operators solely for financial gain, and highlighting the potential harm to unsuspecting consumers. .
Additional deepfakes featuring Oprah Winfrey have surfaced on meta-platforms Facebook and Instagram. In this case, real footage was overlaid with his AI-generated dialogue to make it appear that Winfrey was endorsing Virgin’s products. The real Oprah strongly distanced herself, emphasizing her intention to protect consumers from false associations and abuse of AI in advertising.
YouTube deleted the video
Representatives for Morgan, Lawson and Winfrey strongly condemned the ad, saying they had no connection to Virgin or its products. Digital forensics expert Hany Farid confirmed that the manipulated video was a deepfake. These ads were removed because they violated YouTube’s policies against defaced content and have since been removed from the platform.
Virgin initially claimed the ads were independently created by “affiliates” who helped generate sales and earned commissions. However, Virgin actively recruits and coaches its team online, actively promotes its courses on social media, and frequently uses dubious claims about the origins and validity of its scripts.
Expanding
Theology professor Nathan McDonald has debunked claims that the script comes from an extremely rare 11th century Hebrew Bible that was recently put up for auction. The video also promotes seemingly anti-Semitic claims about Jewish wealth and prosperity gospel concepts. Outrage from high-profile celebrities and policy violations have led Digistore24 to end its business relationship with Virgin.
