ATLANTA — AI-created deepfakes are being posted on social media in an effort to sell products.
Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray spoke to a woman who saw a post with an AI-generated version of Channel 2 Consumer Adviser Clark Howard giving what she thought was bad advice.
In the video, Howard appeared to be selling insurance.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
“Zero fees, zero catch. You just answer a few questions about your car, and it pulls your real rate,” the video said.
"It’s really creepy for me to watch that and think that people think that’s me," the real Howard said.
In the post, the imitation Howard is recommending a tool to find cheaper car insurance.
Kennesaw resident Dianne Milton jumped in the comments to warn people not to waste their time because she’s been to a similar website before.
“Immediately, I started getting calls from anybody and everybody and nobody had a better deal,” she said.
MORE FROM 2 INVESTIGATES:
- Woman says plumbers found no leaks in home, but Clayton County still charging her bills up to $1,000
- Woman says VA refuses to replace her broken wheelchair, blaming her and not manufacturer
- Family says car dealership took advantage of elderly man with dementia; business says it’s resolved
But Milton said that until Gray messaged her, she thought it was the real Clark Howard giving bad advice.
The real Howard says it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.
“Anytime somebody’s pitching something to us, we gotta know it may not be the real deal now. It’s so easy to create these fakes,” he said.
In November, Channel 2 Action News showed you AI-generated deepfakes of Senator Jon Ossoff in an ad posted by the campaign of his Republican rival for U.S. Senate, Mike Collins.
“Somebody could get ripped off and think they’re seeing me say, ‘Hey, this is a great thing,’” the real Howard said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
