Lea Salonga (pic) sent a warning to the public after a fake Artificial Intelligence-generated video claimed she was in a wheelchair due to arthritis.
Salonga took to social media to share that her aunt in Manila had been tricked by the manipulated clip, prompting her to clarify that she is in good health.
“I just chatted with an aunt of mine from Manila who sent a message that was unnerving. She had just seen a video claiming that I was in a wheelchair due to arthritis and was cured by some treatment,” wrote the actress-singer on Facebook on Saturday, June 28.
“I told her that I was fine, experiencing minor aches and pains from my job, but that’s it. She was bamboozled by a fake video. AI is scary. Stay vigilant and aware,” she continued.
In 2024, the Filipina Broadway superstar, alongside Sharon Cuneta, was used in fake product endorsements manipulated by AI to make it appear as if they were promoting a “natural” cure for diabetes.
Many Filipino celebrities including Anne Curtis, Amy Perez and Ogie Alcasid have recently been victimised by deepfake videos, and they warned netizens to be cautious of them.
Perez was previously used to endorse a menopausal drug after the AI feature made use of an old clip from her now defunct morning show.
The AI software is being exploited to distort videos and images of public figures to misinform the public, as reported by the New York Times.
Experts remind users to remain critical and skeptical of the content they consume on the Internet, given the spread of deepfake videos. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
