Inside the diabolical world of very convincing AI thirst traps that are scamming gay men on social media
This story was originally published in The Highlight. To get access to member-exclusive stories like this every month, become a Vox Member today. Derek Lam has more than 31,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 40,000 on X as of this writing. He is shirtless a lot, he dances a lot, and he is shirtless dancing a lot, […]
The article "Inside the diabolical world of very convincing AI thirst traps that are scamming gay men on social media" reveals a disturbing trend in the world of social media. Derek Lam, a TikTok and X influencer with over 31,000 and nearly 40,000 followers respectively, has been using AI-generated visuals to create a seemingly perfect online persona.
Despite appearing real, Lam is actually an AI-generated figure designed to attract likes and money. This is part of a growing trend of AI-generated "deepfakes" that are being used to impersonate real people, including models, influencers, and porn stars. These AI-generated figures are not only stealing the beauty and fame of real humans, but they are also scamming their followers with false promises of exclusive adult content.
While the consequences for the individuals being impersonated are clear, the implications for all internet users are even more alarming. As deepfake technology continues to advance, it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and AI-generated content. This raises the question: if human desire can be manipulated to turn anyone into something for sale, is anyone truly safe?
The article serves as a warning about the potential damage AI could wreak on society, and the unintended consequences of technological innovation.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
