Inside the weird and legally dubious phenomenon of AI replicas that copy content creators for views and profit
Skipping down a red-carpeted Tudor-style staircase while balancing a delicate cup of tea, a red-haired man with a bob by the username of Duke of Ashcombe seems to be nothing more than ecstatic as a smiling woman sweeps in to join his dance in a video. In another video, the same Duke swiftly skips alongside a windswept shore, still clutching to the same white teacup, with a caption reading “Dear…
The phenomenon of AI replicas, which copy content creators for views and profit, is a peculiar and legally dubious issue. One such replica, created by an AI using content from Instagram creator Kjetil Krogstad, has drawn significant attention. Krogstad, known for dancing in videos wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie, has amassed a large following of 759,000 followers on Instagram. He has expressed his frustrations online, comparing AI-generated content to "stealing and it's disgusting AI slop."
The issue is not limited to Krogstad's account, as it has become increasingly widespread. A creator with nearly 1 million views shared a similar story, expressing concern about their home being used in an AI-generated copy of their video. This has raised unsettling thoughts about privacy and the unauthorized use of one's work. Krogstad also discovered AI-generated videos of bunnies replicating his content, with the bunnies garnering more views than he did.
The motive behind the proliferation of these AI replica accounts appears to be commercial, as some are selling courses teaching others how to replicate content for profit. Krogstad finds this practice particularly bizarre, questioning whether these accounts are genuinely serious about teaching AI usage for content replication. The issue has also emerged outside of bot accounts, with notable creators like ASAP Rocky's music video drawing attention due to alleged AI replicas.
The creative community has shown solidarity in addressing this issue, with users expressing pride in standing up against this form of content theft.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
