Actress Zhang Xinyu reports AI voice cloning for diet drug ads
Chinese actress Zhang Xinyu announced on 18 April 2025 that merchants used AI technology to clone her voice and create unauthorized advertisement videos promoting diet pills without her consent. She stated she had never endorsed any diet drugs and vowed to pursue legal action against those responsible.
What happened
On 18 April 2025, actress Zhang Xinyu posted on social media that merchants used AI technology to clone her voice and create unauthorized advertisement videos promoting diet pills. She stated: 'I recently discovered that a brand used AI to copy my voice, fabricated and edited advertisement videos without authorization, including diet drug advertisements. I find this behavior very despicable.'
Zhang Xinyu clarified she had never endorsed any diet medications and announced she would pursue those responsible to the end. Fan comments indicated the fabricated videos appeared realistic and were easy to be deceived by if not examined carefully.
Reported impact
Consumers who viewed the fraudulent advertisements reportedly found them convincing and easily mistook them for legitimate endorsements by the actress.
The unauthorized use of Zhang Xinyu's cloned voice caused reputational damage, as her name and likeness were associated with diet drug promotions she never approved.
Index analysis
The incident exemplifies voice cloning technology misuse for commercial fraud, where AI-generated audio mimics a public figure's voice to create deceptive marketing material. The fabricated ads capitalized on Zhang Xinyu's previous social media discussions about weight and fitness to appear credible.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.