AI-generated deepfakes of Steve Harvey and other celebrities used for financial scams
AI deepfakes of Steve Harvey's voice and likeness, along with those of celebrities Taylor Swift and Joe Rogan, have been used to promote financial scams offering false claims of government-provided funds. The incidents have prompted Harvey to advocate for legislation, and Congress is considering bills like the No Fakes Act to penalize unauthorized use of AI-generated synthetic media.
What happened
AI-generated deepfakes of Steve Harvey's image, voice and likeness have been created and used to promote financial scams. Last year, Harvey was among celebrities like Taylor Swift and Joe Rogan whose voices were mimicked by AI and used to promote a scam that promised people government-provided funds, with synthetic audio saying 'I've been telling you guys for months to claim this free $6,400 dollars.'
Harvey has also become a popular target of AI-generated memes, many of which are humorous and seemingly harmless, such as depictions of Harvey as a rockstar or running from demons.
Reported impact
Harvey reports that scams using his likeness are at 'an all-time high' in 2025. He expressed concern about the impact on his fans and people who rely on his reputation for authenticity.
Index analysis
The incidents involve actors intentionally creating unauthorized AI-generated versions of Harvey's image, voice and likeness without his consent to deceive people into clicking on or engaging with fraudulent content.
Governance controls
Congress is considering several pieces of legislation aiming to penalize those behind nefarious uses of AI. The No Fakes Act, backed by senators Chris Coons, Amy Klobuchar, Marsha Blackburn and Thom Tillis, aims to hold creators and platforms liable for unauthorized AI-generated images, videos and sound. The Take It Down Act, which earned support from first lady Melania Trump, aims to criminalize AI-generated deepfake pornography. Harvey has advocated for legislation and penalties for the people behind these scams and the platforms hosting them.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.