(NewsNation) — The immense public interest surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ criminal trial has created a flood of false content about celebrity witnesses and fake evidence in the case, which experts warn could affect the verdict.

Artificial intelligence-generated videos claiming high-profile figures like Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lawrence and Jim Carrey — all of whom have no part in the case — are witnesses in Combs’ trial have appeared on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms.

Some include AI-generated photos of celebrities on the stand, accompanied by false audio. Combs is being tried in a federal courtroom, which bans all photos and videos.

One such video claims a “mysterious envelope” linked to singer Alicia Keys was opened in court while she testified. Another claims actor Eddie Murphy told jurors he was abused by Combs.
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None of these individuals has appeared or has been named in the case.

While videos have been flagged in captions as “entertainment,” the content continues to spread misinformation, which raises a host of concerns, according to Ally Madrone, vice president of product at media intelligence company DeepMedia AI.
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“It’s a super efficient way to propagate propaganda,” Madrone said.

The video creators are “capitalizing on this weird thing in the human psyche where even if you know something’s not real, if that information is presented to you first, it’s still in your head at a certain level,” he said.

If people are constantly being fed fake content, Madrone said, it’s difficult to maintain a clean information stream around that case.

YouTube and TikTok removed the videos flagged by NewsNation when reached for comment. TikTok noted one of the videos had been preemptively taken down.

In a statement to NewsNation, YouTube said the videos violated its spam policy.

“All content uploaded to YouTube, including content that’s generated with AI tools, must follow our Community Guidelines. This includes our policies covering spam. When a creator’s channel is terminated from YouTube, this action applies to all other channels that may be owned or operated by the creator,” the company said.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not allow harmful misinformation or harmfully misleading AI-generated content of public figures. They said the platform requires people to label realistic AI-generated content.

Why are fake Diddy trial videos on the internet? 

Given the accessibility of AI technology, Madrone said, anyone can create false content in a relatively short amount of time.

Several accounts associated with fake content have thousands of followers and hundreds of comments under each video.

Madrone said that while some may want to make money off the videos, it’s more likely that there’s a deeper effort to spread misinformation. He noted that this has already happened with previous elections and other politically charged events.
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“Somebody has a reason why they’re putting out that content because monetization on the platforms is not very much until you have millions of followers,” he said.

These accounts may not move the needle for a big payout, he said, but they could move the needle toward an idea or certain public opinion.

“We’ve been seeing massive growth year over year in a bunch of different ways that people use deepfakes, and this is probably the first high-profile trial that I’ve seen it applied in this way at this scale,” he said.
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends an event at Howard University on Oct. 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs)

Why Diddy trial deepfakes may be harmful

Sara Jodka, an AI and privacy lawyer, said it’s entirely plausible that some people may think these videos are true despite how fake they might appear.

“You will have those people that believe a certain way and that look for anything to validate their opinions, and they will hang on to anything, as ridiculous as it seems,” she said.

This content can impact public opinion, Jodka said, and may also diminish the seriousness of the crimes and victims in the Combs trial. The goal is to confuse and manipulate, she said.
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More concerning, Jodka said, is that fake content could impact the jury.

While a juror will know who actually took the stand during trial, fake AI footage about Combs’ alleged attacks or conduct that occurred before the trial, such as a false interview with a celebrity, could confuse a juror, she said.

The jury in the Combs trial is not sequestered, and even though they are not allowed to watch anything about the trial, there’s still a risk, Jodka warned.

“AI makes wrong information that much more believable,” she said.

How to stop fake Diddy trial videos 

Laws that require clear, strict and easily identifiable disclaimers on AI-generated content will help combat the spread of misinformation, Jodka said, adding that this could be done as simply as by adding a hashtag.
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Madrone said that, along with legislation, it’s just as important that digital platforms fund trust and safety teams to detect and remove misinformation quickly. Most major digital platforms don’t allow certain AI-generated content, so it’s a matter of being able to catch and kill it, he said.

Madrone also said it’s important to have a human-in-the-loop AI interface, in which a person reviews fake content flagged by detection software.