Deepfake targets Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenksa with false claim she bought Bugatti
CBSN
A new deepfake video that falsely claims the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, purchased a $4.8 million Bugatti sports car has racked up millions of views on social media, CBS News has found. The video is part of a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at degrading Western support for Ukraine, researchers said.
CBS News determined the video was created using artificial intelligence. It shows a man claiming to be a French luxury car dealership employee sharing "exclusive" information about the fabricated sale. The man doesn't move his neck, rarely blinks and his head barely moves — telltale signs of being manipulated using AI.
The video was amplified by Russian disinformation networks across social media platforms, racking up over 20 million views on X, Telegram and TikTok. X and Telegram did not respond to a request for comment. A TikTok spokesperson told CBS News their policies do not allow misinformation that may cause harm and the company removes content that violates these guidelines.
