That white guy who can’t get a job at Tim Hortons? He’s AI
A series of AI-generated videos featuring a white man named “Josh” complaining about the difficulty of finding a job in Canada have been removed from TikTok after an investigation by CBC News Visual Investigations team. The videos, created by an AI firm called Nexa, depict “Josh” making racially charged statements about immigrants and their impact on the job market in Canada.
In one video, “Josh” laments that he can’t secure a job because individuals from India have taken all the positions, particularly at Tim Hortons. He recounts an experience where he applied for a job at the popular coffee shop and was asked if he spoke Punjabi. Tim Hortons expressed frustration and concern over the videos and their content, stating that they have struggled to have them taken down.
Another video shows “Josh” criticizing Canada’s immigration policy, questioning why so many individuals are admitted to the country when there aren’t enough jobs available. This trend, known as “fake-fluencing,” involves creating fake personas with AI to endorse products or services. Some of the videos displayed Nexa logos, subtly promoting the AI firm’s software.
While some viewers were quick to identify the videos as AI-generated, others believed “Josh” to be a real person and engaged with the content. Marketing experts have condemned this deceptive and unethical practice, likening it to tactics used by far-right groups.
The latest AI software used to create these videos, Google’s Veo3, produces content that is incredibly convincing and difficult to distinguish from real human interaction. Despite some users calling out the videos as fake, the level of realism has raised concerns about the potential for undetectable fakery in the future.
TikTok removed the videos for violating its community guidelines, which require AI-generated content to be clearly labeled as such. While Nexa included a Google Veo watermark in the videos, TikTok deemed it insufficient and called for a more explicit indication of AI-generated content.
As AI technology continues to advance, the issue of deceptive content on social media platforms is expected to worsen. Experts emphasize the importance of responsible and ethical utilization of such technology to prevent the spread of harmful messages and misinformation. It is essential for platforms like TikTok to enforce clear guidelines to protect users from deceptive content and ensure transparency in online interactions.
