Cypriot Actor Pursues Legal Action Over AI-Generated Deepfake Video
An AI-generated deepfake video depicting a character associated with actor Georgios Zenios circulated on social media in Cyprus, reportedly showing the character striking public figures. Zenios stated he did not authorize use of his likeness and reported receiving verbal attacks from citizens who mistakenly believed he created the content. He announced his intention to pursue legal action against the video creators.
What happened
An AI-generated deepfake video depicting the character Rikos Mappouros, created by AI Studios, circulated on social media showing the character striking public figures and politicians in Cyprus.
The video's creators stated it was labeled as satire and an AI experiment and said they were willing to remove it, but actor Georgios Zenios, who originally portrayed the character, had not authorized use of his likeness.
Reported impact
Zenios reported receiving verbal attacks from citizens following the video's release and stated that many viewers mistakenly believed he had participated in creating the content.
The actor said the incident created problems in both his personal and professional life, with some attributing political motivations to the video's content.
Index analysis
The video's labeling as satire and AI-generated content did not prevent viewers from associating the depicted actions with the actor, raising concerns about the effectiveness of synthetic media disclosures.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.