Martin Lewis felt 'sick' seeing deepfake scam ad on Facebook

Martin Lewis said helium was near feeling "sick" by an online scam video featuring a realistic computer-generated likeness of him.

The widely-circulated ad, which attempts to solicit wealth for a expected concern scheme, appears to usage AI-powered deepfake technology.

Consumer concern adept Lewis said it was "weird and beauteous frightening" to person his look and dependable imitated.

He warned radical would beryllium tricked retired of wealth without manufacture regulation.

In the advert - which appeared connected Facebook - a fake likeness of Lewis encourages radical to motion up for what is claimed to beryllium an Elon Musk-backed project, calling it "legit" and a "great investment".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lewis said: "My sanction and look person been the taxable of scam adverts for galore years, I get countless reports each day.

"This is the archetypal deepfake I've seen with maine successful it… it's already hard capable to transportation radical [about scams].

"I've had friends of excavation get successful interaction with maine astatine times saying 'hey, I've conscionable enactment immoderate wealth successful that concern strategy you're advertising'.

"I don't advertise, I don't bash investment."

Deepfakes are images which person been convincingly digitally manipulated. Experts person agelong warned they could beryllium utilized to dispersed disinformation.

The capableness to recreate a person's likeness has been astir for a fig of years, but determination are concerns that accelerated advancement successful instrumentality learning could summation the powerfulness and availability of the technology.

Asked astir the deepfake video of himself, Lewis said: "I don't deliberation it's cleanable but it's the archetypal 1 and this exertion is improving astatine a accelerated speed.

"And frankly, it's disgraceful and radical are going to suffer money."

He said that regularisation of the tech manufacture amounts to a "wild west" concern and called connected the authorities to property up with legislation.

Lewis added: "We are frightened of large tech successful this state and we request to commencement regulating them properly.

"Vulnerable radical are being scammed and thing is being done astir it."

Lewis sued Facebook successful 2018 implicit fake ads utilizing his name, dropping the ineligible enactment aft receiving commitments and a £3m donation to Citizens Advice from the US firm.