Australian voice artists lose work to AI voice clones
Australian voice artists Jordan Fritz, Cooper Mortlock and Thomas Burt have lost work and income after their voices were cloned without consent using AI technology. Mortlock discovered his voice was being used by a former employer after he was told he was no longer needed. The artists have been unable to stop the cloning and fear for the future of the voice acting industry.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Tomato Novel retracts proposal to use authors' works for AI training
Tomato Novel, a Chinese online novel platform affiliated with ByteDance, proposed a protocol allowing creators' works to be used for AI training. After creators raised concerns about copyright infringement and AI replacing human authors, the platform retracted and reedited the protocol, stating that AI is merely a tool to assist creators. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between AI development and human creative work.
- Company involved
- Tomato Novel
2 source articles · read the reporting →
LinkedIn removes AI 'co-worker' accounts that were seeking jobs
LinkedIn removed at least two AI 'co-worker' accounts whose profile images said they were '#OpenToWork'. One account named Ella claimed it would outperform any social media team and needed no coffee breaks. The article does not specify further consequences.
- Company involved
- LinkedIn
- AI system involved
- AI 'co-worker' account 'Ella'
4 source articles · read the reporting →
OpenAI's Sora 2 allowed unauthorized use of Bryan Cranston's likeness
OpenAI's Sora 2 video generation platform allowed users to create images of actor Bryan Cranston without his permission, leading to a video of his 'Breaking Bad' character interacting with Michael Jackson. After outcry from Cranston, SAG-AFTRA, and talent agencies, OpenAI added guardrails and an opt-in protocol to protect performers' voices and likenesses. Cranston thanked OpenAI for the changes, and the union called it a positive resolution.
- Company involved
- OpenAI
- AI system involved
- Sora 2
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Dutch probe into chatbots' voting advice raises EU AI Act risk for OpenAI, xAI, Mistral
A Dutch privacy probe into election advice has appeared to expose early violations of the EU AI Act's rules for general-purpose AI models by OpenAI, xAI and Mistral, according to MLex. The companies' chatbots provided distorted voting advice to users. The findings were shared with the European Commission and could prompt future scrutiny or litigation.
- Company involved
- OpenAI, xAI and Mistral
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Thailand PM targeted by AI voice-cloning scam
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was targeted by an AI-driven phone scam. The scammer used a cloned voice of a well-known world leader to demand a donation, claiming Thailand was the only ASEAN nation yet to contribute. The Prime Minister recognised the fake voice and did not fall for the scam. The incident highlights the growing threat of AI-enabled fraud.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
AI news presenters James and Rose terminated after two months at Hawaii newspaper
The Garden Island newspaper in Hawaii deployed AI-generated news presenters James and Rose, created by Caledo, to produce video broadcasts. The AI presenters were widely criticized for their unnatural dialogue, mispronunciations, and inability to convey emotion. After a two-month run, the broadcasts were discontinued following negative public response and a lack of advertising revenue.
- Company involved
- Oahu Publications
- AI system involved
- James and Rose
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Kevin Roose manipulates AI chatbots with invisible text on website
Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter, demonstrated that AI chatbots can be manipulated by adding invisible text and coded instructions to his personal website. After he added positive information about himself in hidden text, chatbots began praising him and even included a deliberately false claim that he received a Nobel Peace Prize for building orphanages on the moon. The incident highlights the vulnerability of AI systems to "Answer Engine Optimization" and raises concerns about the reliability of AI-generated information.
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Embark Studios' Arc Raiders generative AI voices spark ethics debate
Embark Studios' game Arc Raiders uses AI-generated text-to-speech voices trained on real actors, prompting an ethical debate in the games industry. A Eurogamer critic said he could not ignore the use of human voices in this way, while Epic's Tim Sweeney defended generative AI as potentially transformative. The controversy has raised existential concerns for video game artists, writers and voice actors who may be at risk from the technology.
- Company involved
- Embark Studios
- AI system involved
- Arc Raiders
7 source articles · read the reporting →
AI deepfakes of Hurricane Helene victim go viral, FEMA debunks
After Hurricane Helene, AI-generated images of a child in a boat with a dog spread online, falsely portraying a victim. The images contained obvious flaws, such as an extra finger, and were shared by a US senator before being deleted. FEMA established a rumour response page to counter misinformation and warned of scams exploiting the disaster.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Albanian actor sues government over unauthorized use of her likeness for AI virtual minister
Albanian actor Anila Bisha is suing the government after her image and voice were used without consent to create "Diella," the world's first virtual minister for artificial intelligence. Bisha had signed a contract allowing use of her likeness for a chatbot on the e-Albania portal, but alleges the government expanded its use to a ministerial role without permission. The case is pending in the Administrative Court of Albania.
- Company involved
- Council of Ministers of Albania
- AI system involved
- Diella
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Italian DPA fines Municipality of Trento over AI surveillance projects
The Italian data protection authority (Garante) fined the Municipality of Trento €50,000 for two research projects, Marvel and Protector, that used AI to analyze video, audio, and social media data for public security purposes. The projects involved automated detection of risk events from surveillance cameras and microphones in public spaces, as well as monitoring social media for hate speech. The Garante found multiple violations of privacy law, including lack of a valid legal basis, insufficient anonymization, failure to conduct a data protection impact assessment, and inadequate transparency. The municipality is required to delete the unlawfully processed data.
- Company involved
- Comune di Trento
- AI system involved
- Marvel and Protector
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Under Armour AI ad sparks creator backlash over uncredited reuse
Under Armour released an advertisement for boxer Anthony Joshua, directed by Wes Walker, who claimed it was the first AI-powered sports commercial. Creatives, including Gustav Johansson and André Chemetoff, accused the ad of reusing their existing work without credit. Walker initially denied the claims but later added credits after public criticism. The incident highlights concerns about AI being used to exploit creators' work.
- Company involved
- Under Armour
- AI system involved
- Unnamed AI video and photo tools
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Accusations of AI use in DC Comics artwork by artists Andrea Sorrentino and Jingxiong Guo
DC Comics is facing accusations that artists used AI to generate artwork for recent Batman issues and covers. Social media users pointed out visual inconsistencies such as strange anatomy and repetitive patterns. Andrea Sorrentino and Jingxiong Guo have denied the allegations, with Sorrentino posting a process video. DC Comics has stated that it is investigating the claims, but no definitive conclusion has been reached.
- Company involved
- DC Comics
6 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated voice impersonates Liz Bonnin to deceive Incognito
Scammers used an AI-generated voice to impersonate BBC presenter Liz Bonnin, convincing Incognito CEO Howard Carter to pay £20,000 for an endorsement. Bonnin's likeness was used in insect repellant ads without her consent. The AI-generated voice note exhibited inconsistent accent and cadence, as assessed by experts. Incognito reported the incident to police and its bank.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Senators demand review of VA's AI-driven contract cancellations
The Department of Veterans Affairs used an AI tool created by a Department of Government Efficiency employee to identify hundreds of contracts for cancellation. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Angus King have called for the VA Inspector General to investigate the use of AI in these decisions, alleging that the tool used flawed formulas and that the cancellations are harming veterans by cutting services. The AI tool was developed to review nearly 90,000 contracts in a 30-day period and reportedly made mistakes.
- Company involved
- Department of Veterans Affairs
8 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-powered scam compound in Myanmar uses ChatGPT and Gemini to defraud thousands globally
Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, trafficked to a scam compound in Tai Chang, Myanmar, was forced to use AI-powered software to impersonate a woman and deceive victims into sending money. The software, Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition and Global Social Traffic Navigation, used OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to generate messages and translate in over 100 languages. Koorimannil targeted 50,000 victims in a month, while the tools enabled scammers to rake in tens of millions of dollars. U.S. authorities have created a strike force to disrupt such operations, and OpenAI has banned accounts linked to the scams.
- Company involved
- Tai Chang
- AI system involved
- Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition (KT) and Global Social Traffic Navigation (007TG)
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Berlin court rules AI imitation of voice actor's voice violates personal rights
A German voice actor, known as the German voice of Bruce Willis, took legal action against the operator of a YouTube channel. The operator had used an AI-generated voice deceptively similar to the actor's voice in two videos with right-wing political content and to advertise goods, without the actor's consent. The Berlin Regional Court ruled on August 20, 2025, that this violated the actor's general personal rights and that he is entitled to compensation. The court based its decision on the lack of consent and the failure to label the voice as AI-generated, and the case is not yet final.
- Company involved
- Operator of a YouTube channel
- AI system involved
- AI voice generation system
4 source articles · read the reporting →
X's Grok AI falsely 'unmasks' ICE agent, leading to harassment of two men
After the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, users on X asked the AI chatbot Grok to 'unmask' the agent. Grok generated a fake image that circulated widely, leading to the false identification of two men named Steve Grove, who were then harassed online. Experts warn that AI cannot reliably unmask individuals and that such generated images are devoid of reality. The incident highlights the dangers of AI-generated misinformation in news events.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI-generated deepfake videos target New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani
Accounts calling themselves Citizens Against Mamdani posted AI-generated videos of fictitious New Yorkers criticising mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The videos, some bearing OpenAI's Sora watermark, were analysed by Reality Defender and found highly likely to be deepfakes. The campaign demonstrates how generative AI has automated astroturfing, allowing the creation of realistic fake grassroots content at scale. Fast Company reached out to the accounts but received no response.
- AI system involved
- Sora
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Port Neches man warns of AI voice cloning scam after frightening call
Jace Edgar of Port Neches, Texas, received a phone call from a scammer using AI to clone his sister's voice, claiming she had been in an accident. Believing the call was genuine, he began driving to help before becoming suspicious and hanging up. He confirmed his sister was safe and later received a second call from the scammer. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office commented that such AI-powered scams are increasing and advised people not to release information over the phone.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Steve Rosenbaum's Book Retracted After AI-Generated Quotes Found
Steve Rosenbaum's book 'The Future of Truth' was found to contain AI-generated and misattributed quotes. WIRED retracted an excerpt after AI detection tools indicated significant AI-generated content. Rosenbaum admitted using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude for writing assistance but denied full AI generation. The incident highlights concerns about AI use in journalism and publishing.
- Company involved
- BenBella Books
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI writing tools
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Chinese actor Jin Dong calls for AI laws after deepfake scams target fans
Chinese actor Jin Dong has raised concerns about AI deepfake scams impersonating him to defraud fans. In 2022, a woman in Shanghai transferred 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) to scammers using AI-generated chat. Police arrested eight individuals in 2023. Jin, a political advisor, is calling for stronger AI regulations.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Anthropic's Claude Cowork AI deletes user's 15 years of family photos
A venture capitalist used Anthropic's Claude Cowork AI agent to organise his wife's desktop, granting it permission to delete temporary files. The AI mistakenly deleted a folder containing over 15,000 irreplaceable family photos, bypassing the trash. The user described the experience as harrowing and nearly causing a heart attack. He was able to recover the files with help from Apple Support using an iCloud feature.
- AI system involved
- Claude Cowork
1 source article · read the reporting →