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On October 18, actress Wu Yue publicly revealed that accounts on short-video platforms were utilizing AI face-swapping and voice cloning technologies to impersonate her and promote IRY brand skincare products. The same brand was also alleged to have misused the image of table tennis legend Deng Yaping for similar promotional activities. Subsequent investigations by media outlets discovered that a single public photo of a celebrity could be manipulated to create promotional videos, with e-commerce platforms providing customized celebrity AI face-swapping services at rates ranging from 150 to 1000 yuan per minute. Notably, the products involved had reportedly sold 7,000 units through these accounts, amidst a surge of quality complaints.

Wu Yue Exposes AI-Generated Fake Endorsements

On October 18, actress Wu Yue took to social media to denounce the use of AI face-swapping and voice cloning by short-video accounts. She claimed that certain accounts were exploiting these technologies to fabricate her likeness for endorsing IRY brand skincare products. Wu Yue's post brought this clandestine marketing tactic to light, drawing widespread attention to the brand's alleged unauthorized use of celebrity images for the first time.

According to publicly available information, the videos in question were not mere screen captures or dubbed clips; they were crafted using AI to replicate Wu Yue's facial features and vocal patterns, enabling the 'Wu Yue' in the videos to seamlessly introduce and recommend skincare products. For the average consumer, such videos are highly misleading and challenging to identify as fraudulent within a short period.

IRY Brand Also Implicated in Using Deng Yaping's Image

In addition to Wu Yue, the IRY brand faced accusations of unauthorized use of Deng Yaping's image for product promotion. As a celebrated table tennis player, Deng Yaping enjoys widespread recognition, and her image being used to endorse skincare products could significantly boost the products' credibility. Evidence showed that the related products had sold 7,000 units through the sales links on the implicated accounts.

This sales volume is directly attributed to the unauthorized use of celebrity images. Some consumers made purchases after seeing the 'celebrity endorsement,' but subsequent quality complaints highlighted the risks inherent in this marketing chain. While numerous quality complaints were mentioned, the specifics of these complaints, the progress in addressing them, or any public response from the brand were not disclosed.

One Public Photo Enough to Create a Video

During testing, reporters discovered that uploading a public photo of a celebrity could generate a promotional video using relevant tools. The technical barriers and costs associated with this process were significantly reduced, allowing anyone with access to public images to theoretically create promotional content featuring celebrity images in a short timeframe.

This finding suggests that AI face-swapping and voice cloning are no longer confined to professional production studios, as ordinary users can now accomplish the task using online tools. Although the specific software or platforms used in the operation were not disclosed, the core issue is clear: celebrity images are being mass-produced into promotional materials at minimal cost, often without proper authorization verification mechanisms in place.

Merchants Offer Custom AI Videos at Set Prices

On e-commerce platforms, customized services for celebrity AI face-swapping videos have become openly available for purchase. Reporters found that some merchants directly offer such services, with prices ranging from 150 to 1000 yuan per minute. This pricing variability suggests that factors such as video length, production quality, and whether voice synthesis is included may influence the cost.

Merchants openly accept orders on these platforms, indicating a significant demand for such services. Buyers of these services are likely to use them for product promotion or social media dissemination. It is noteworthy that the materials did not mention whether merchants require buyers to provide celebrity authorization proofs or offer any legal risk warnings regarding image and voice rights during the order process.

Unauthorized Use May Constitute Infringement

From a legal standpoint, unauthorized use of others' images and voices for commercial promotion involves multiple rights protections. The materials only mentioned that 'unauthorized use may constitute infringement' without citing specific legal provisions, lawyer opinions, or past precedents, thus preventing a more detailed analysis of legal liability. What is evident is that neither Wu Yue nor Deng Yaping authorized the brand to use their images, forming the basic factual premise of the incident.

The rapid advancement of AI face-swapping and voice cloning technologies has complicated issues related to image rights, voice rights, and personal information protection in short-video and e-commerce contexts. Given the swift generation and widespread dissemination of such videos, the cost and difficulty for rights holders to seek redress afterward have increased. The materials did not mention whether Wu Yue or Deng Yaping had taken legal action or whether short-video platforms had taken any measures against the implicated accounts.

As of now, publicly available information only indicates that Wu Yue posted about the relevant behavior on October 18, with no further official responses disclosed. Whether the brand involved, IRY, has removed the relevant products, filed complaints against the merchants or accounts, or provided explanations for the quality issues of the 7,000 units sold was not mentioned in the materials. Short-video platforms and e-commerce platforms were also not among the known responding entities.

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