AI Deepfake Used to Create False Cancer Cure Advertisement Featuring Park Visitor
A 68-year-old regular visitor at Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing discovered his video had been stolen and synthesized using AI deepfake technology to create a false advertisement promoting a cancer cure book. In the fabricated video, he was portrayed as a 90-year-old cancer patient and wealthy professor, causing reputational damage and confusion among family and friends who questioned his involvement in the scheme.
What happened
A 68-year-old regular at Temple of Heaven Park, known as Xu, discovered his video had been stolen and synthesized using AI deepfake technology to create a fake advertisement.
In the fabricated video, Xu was portrayed as a 90-year-old cancer patient of 15 years, contrary to his actual health status. The altered video also falsely depicted him as a university physics professor earning substantial monthly income, when he had previously worked as a warehouse manager and security guard.
The deepfake video was distributed widely online by multiple accounts promoting a purported 'anti-cancer formula' book, causing confusion among Xu's family, friends, and acquaintances who believed he had profited from the scheme.
Reported impact
Xu reported significant disruption to his life after discovering the deception when visitors to the park asked him about the advertisement and his earnings.
Family members and friends repeatedly questioned him about his involvement and compensation, requiring him to repeatedly deny involvement and explain the fraud.
Xu became fearful of further video recordings and declined to participate with self-media creators afterward, disrupting his previous routine of exercising and socializing at the park.
Index analysis
The use of deepfake technology to appropriate a non-public figure's likeness represents an evolution in fraud tactics, as perpetrators shifted from hiring actors or using celebrity footage to targeting ordinary individuals with less resources for legal recourse.
A lawyer advised that such conduct violates both portrait rights and reputation rights under Chinese law, and recommended evidence preservation through blockchain verification and notarization, comparative analysis of synthesized and original videos including facial and voice identification, and remedies through civil lawsuits, administrative complaints, or criminal charges.
Governance controls
Legal experts noted that ordinary persons face substantially greater difficulty in defending their rights compared to public figures due to limited channels for voice and higher enforcement costs, and recommended that judicial organs and law firms provide public interest assistance to victims of AI-related rights violations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.