In the past few years, we have seen a rapid development in artificial intelligence (AI). AI has become a large part of our daily lives. If you’re doing research or need a recipe, AI is there to help. However, the most recent development, AI-generated videos, has raised concerns over privacy and personal rights. While AI-generated videos can be useful in education, entertainment, and communication, there are numerous downsides.
One major concern is the prevalence of deepfakes. Deepfakes are videos or images generated by AI containing realistic-looking people. They raise legal and ethical concerns as impersonation is a violation of personal rights. For example, Scarlett Johansson, an actress, sued Lisa AI for using her voice and appearance in an advertisement without her consent. While the advertisement was taken down, this contributed to the discussion of future implications for this technology. Not even political figures are safe from these. Deepfakes of public figures like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Kamala Harris have frequently appeared on the internet in the past.
Celebrity advertisements may seem entertaining or even harmless to an extent, but the real danger comes when deepfakes are exploited for defamation and scams. Deepfakes are not limited to celebrities: anyone with photos online can be made a target. It takes only a few photos for a realistic AI clone of them to be made. These clones can then be prompted to do illegal, malicious, or inappropriate things, which can either ruin someone’s reputation or be used to blackmail people. Scams involving deepfakes have become fairly common. In 2024, deepfake scams using Elon Musk’s appearance went viral. People were encouraged to invest in a business that did not exist. 82-year-old Steve Beauchamp gave his entire retirement fund of $690,000 to one of these scams, and he never got his money back.
AI can also bring the validity of video evidence into question. While AI videos are not completely realistic yet, they are still fairly accurate. In a few more years, they’re likely going to become nearly indistinguishable from real life. This means that defendants might eventually be able to use AI to their advantage in courts to challenge video evidence of being AI-generated. Currently, it’s difficult and almost impossible for courts to accurately identify AI-generated videos. In the case of Mendones v. Cushman and Wakefield, Ariel and Maridol Mendones, the plaintiffs, submitted AI-generated videos as evidence. Though they were caught and lost the case, this incident may mark the beginning of widespread use of AI to fabricate video evidence.
Though it may be impossible to completely stop the rise of AI videos, there are many ways to combat or slow their spread. The first step could include educating people you know about how to identify such videos and how vulnerable they are to deepfakes. While AI videos have many benefits, they also come with many risks. From ruining reputations to fabricating evidence, the risks are extreme and widespread. As technology continues to develop and advance, society needs to adapt to it.
Sources:
Volokh, Eugene, et al. “Court Throws out Case after Finding Plaintiffs Submitted Deepfake Videos and Altered Images.” Reason.Com, 25 Sept. 2025, reason.com/volokh/2025/09/25/court-throws-out-case-after-finding-plaintiffs-submitted-deepfake-videos-and-altered-images/.
“8 Ethical Concerns Raised by AI Images and Video.” Imgix, Alfredo Deambrosi, 18 July 2025, www.imgix.com/blog/8-ethical-concerns-raised-by-ai-images-and-video.
Nichols, Ally. “The Hidden Downsides of Ai-Generated Videos.” Digital Brew, 25 Sept. 2024, www.digitalbrew.com/the-hidden-downsides-of-ai-generated-videos/.
