AI-Generated Influencers Accused of Stealing Comedic Material for Adult Content Sites
Digital performers are gaining millions of views on social media by repurposing jokes from real comedians, leading to calls for platform accountability.
A new wave of AI-generated female influencers is reportedly plagiarizing jokes from human comedians, achieving viral success on platforms like Instagram and directing followers to adult subscription services. These digital creations, often depicted in revealing attire before simulated audiences, have amassed substantial followings by recycling material that previously gained traction when performed by real comedians.
One prominent example is Tiffany Sloane, an AI-generated personality who reportedly gained over 375,000 Instagram followers shortly after her debut in September. One of her videos garnered more than 7 million views in under two weeks. Sloane's Instagram account included a link to an OnlyFans page, according to reports. Wired identified at least eight comedians whose content has allegedly been used by these AI performers.
Comedian George Brett Olson discovered that Sloane had presented a routine nearly identical to his own joke about political perceptions of artificial intelligence versus immigration. Olson noted the striking similarity, including the backdrop and even the attire. "I just thought it was so weird to see people openly stealing in real time," Olson told Wired.
Following Olson's public accusation, Sloane's account reportedly issued an apology and removed the video and other similar content. Another AI influencer, Aylen Skye, is reported to have accumulated approximately 250,000 followers by performing stolen jokes. Comedian Julia Jasunas identified Skye using her routine about renting a room to an attractive man, reproduced verbatim. Skye's associated website, AylenTV.com, redirected users to adult content on Fanvue, a platform that explicitly caters to AI-generated creators.
"It’s one thing to have your jokes stolen," Jasunas stated, "It’s another to funnel your work into something so sexualized, for someone else’s profit."
Comedian Olivia Carter also found her joke about asking a personal trainer out, which had previously appeared on Netflix and "The Tonight Show," to be replicated by multiple AI-generated women. One offending Instagram account reportedly had 180,000 followers, while another had 240,000, surpassing Carter's own follower count at the time.
The situation highlights potential gaps in Meta's policies regarding impersonation and intellectual property. Jasunas reported that Instagram rejected her impersonation complaint, arguing that Skye was not posing as her, despite using her material. Similarly, Olson found that reports of Sloane's video were dismissed as not violating community guidelines.
Comedians have explored legal avenues, but legal action is considered difficult and potentially not worthwhile unless the offending accounts generate substantial revenue. Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the issue, stating that Meta is committed to supporting original content creators and is investigating how to address AI accounts that replicate their work. However, Mosseri also indicated that a complete ban on AI content would be challenging to implement and enforce, given the evolving nature of the technology and the varying quality of AI-generated material.