Ukrainian YouTuber’s Deepfake Promotes Russian Goods in China

Ukrainian Youtuber Olga Loiek has claimed that her face and voice have been cloned through Artificial Intelligence (AI) to present her as a Russian woman promoting Russian goods in the Chinese market. This Russian woman is called by different names, say Anna, Natasha, or Grace, depending upon the social media platform in China you found her on. 

She is portrayed as a Russian woman speaking Mandarin, showing love for China and her willingness to marry a Chinese man.

Olga Loiek is a Ukrainian YouTuber aged 20 studying cognitive science at the University of Pennsylvania. She started her YouTube channel to share about mental health and her life philosophies. She encountered her AI clone when some followers messaged her regarding the same. 

This has angered the Ukrainian Youtuber, as her hometown is at war with Russia while her virtual versions claim her to be living in China and showing love for Russia.

Also Read: Top 11 Text-to-Video Generative AI Models

One of the AI clone videos says in Mandarin, “I love China. I love the Chinese culture. I hope to live in China for the rest of my life.” Another video says “While everyone else is moving away from Russia, only China is being quietly supportive. China and Russia are good neighbors. The China-Russia friendship will last forever.”

There is another Deepfake video where she is seen talking about Russian marriage culture, with Chinese men being the best boyfriends for Russian women.

Olga Loiek also released a YouTube video wherein she could be seen talking about her Deepfake videos, her anger, and her concern regarding the same.

A Ukrainian Youtuber said in her clarification video, “It’s kind of crazy because I haven’t even made one dollar from YouTube at the moment, but she (AI clone) is using my face to make a profit, which is very funny to me.” 

She further added after watching hundreds of videos on different accounts “The main narrative behind these clones is to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, presenting me or my clone as a Russian POV. As a Ukrainian, this has been infuriating for me. 

After all, my family has to hide during air raids in Ukraine, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians are getting displaced, injured, or killed because of Russian attacks. Now I am seeing a copy of myself, my clone, advocating and sympathizing with the Russian Federation.”

Also Read: Text-to-Video AI Tool: Open Sora vs Canva and Other Video Generators

Ukrainian YouTuber does not know the reason behind her face being used in these fake accounts, nor does anyone seek her permission for the same. However, she has concerns about the growing AI clone video market nowadays. She would definitely continue with her YouTube journey. 

The use of AI to generate clone videos is a topic of growing controversy everywhere.