Micheál Martin has warned the public after an AI‑generated video impersonating him was used to promote a fake investment scheme promising €40,000 from a €250 stake. He described the footage as "clearly very false material", urged users to be vigilant, and called on social platforms to block and swiftly remove such posts. The incident highlights how modern AI tools make deepfakes easier to produce, raising concerns about fraud and political manipulation. A similar AI clip targeting Catherine Connolly circulated during the presidential campaign and was condemned for misleading voters.
Irish PM (Taoiseach) Warns Over AI ‘Deep‑Fake’ Used to Promote €40,000 Investment Scam
A fake video using Micheál Martin's likeness was used to promote a financial scam [PA Media]
The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has warned the public after an AI‑generated video impersonating him was used to promote a bogus investment scheme online.
Fake Clip Pushed Bogus Earnings Claim
In the circulating footage, what appears to be an AI recreation of Mr Martin speaking with an English accent tells viewers that investors of any age can earn €40,000 (£35,000) "with just a phone and €250 (£216)". Mr Martin described the clip as "clearly very false material" and said it underlined the need for users to stay vigilant on social media.
Call For Platform Action
Martin has called on social media companies to prevent such material from being posted and to remove it promptly when identified. BBC News NI has contacted Meta and X for comment about the clip.
The fake video promoting a financial scam was posted online [BBC]
"So, this is clearly very false material pertaining to myself," Martin said in a short video posted to his social accounts. "Illustrative of the kind of manipulation and distortion that can take place on social media and a reminder to us all to be vigilant on social media and to take care."
He added that platforms must ensure such material does not appear online and that it is taken down as soon as it is identified.
Why Deepfakes Matter
Deepfakes are audio, image or video files created with artificial intelligence to appear authentic. The rise of text‑to‑image and text‑to‑video tools has made producing convincing synthetic media far easier than before, increasing the risk of fraud, misinformation and political manipulation.
Earlier Incident During Presidential Campaign
The episode echoes a case during the Irish presidential campaign in October when an AI‑generated video of candidate Catherine Connolly circulated and appeared to announce her withdrawal from the race. Connolly, who later won the election and became President of Ireland, condemned that clip as a "disgraceful attempt to mislead voters and undermine our democracy."
Authorities, platforms and users face growing pressure to detect and remove malicious deepfakes quickly while balancing free expression and legitimate uses of AI tools.
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