A deleted promotional clip raises concerns over identity, consent and digital propaganda.
LONDON
Angolan-Portuguese singer and rapper IAMDDB has accused an official Israeli government social media account of using her likeness without permission in an artificial intelligence-generated promotional video. The controversy has renewed concerns about how synthetic media can associate identifiable individuals with political messages they have never authorized.
The video, subsequently removed from the official accounts, featured an AI-generated woman closely resembling the Manchester-based musician. The character delivered a message defending Jewish historical ties to Judea, accompanied by a caption responding to calls for Israelis to return to their ancestral homeland.
According to reporting by Euronews and the Manchester Evening News, the video was created by Eyal Be, an Israeli-born video director based in New Jersey.
The resemblance attracted attention after activist Rafael Shimunov compared the synthetic character with a promotional photograph of IAMDDB published by Crack magazine in 2018. The clothing and overall appearance appeared sufficiently similar to prompt questions about whether the earlier image had served as a visual reference.
IAMDDB, whose real name is Diana Adelaide Rocha De Brito, publicly rejected any connection to the video.
In a statement, she said she had neither authorized nor participated in its creation and had not approved the use of an image resembling her. She also distanced herself from the political message presented through the synthetic character.
The singer explained that she was seeking advice about possible steps to protect her image, artistic work and personal rights. No judicial finding concerning unauthorized identity use has been established.
Her response also addressed the conflict involving Israel and Palestinians. She expressed opposition to violence against civilians and support for Palestinians, while emphasizing that artists should retain control over the political causes associated with their identities.
IAMDDB further acknowledged having performed in Israel previously, explaining that the appearance should not be interpreted as an endorsement of government policies.
The controversy illustrates a growing problem in digital communication. Generative AI can produce realistic human faces and performances without requiring the subject to appear before a camera or record the words attributed to them.
Such capabilities become particularly sensitive when synthetic characters resemble real people and appear in government communications.
The central concern is not simply whether audiences initially recognize an artificial image. It is whether the presentation creates a misleading association between an identifiable individual and a political position.
Questions about consent, image rights and reputational harm may arise even when a video does not reproduce a person’s face with perfect accuracy.
However, determining whether a particular synthetic image constitutes unlawful impersonation requires examination of the technology used, the applicable jurisdiction and the available evidence.
The removal of the video does not establish legal liability, just as the singer’s allegation does not independently prove how the character was generated.
For public institutions, the incident highlights the importance of verifying the provenance of AI-generated promotional material before publication.
For artists, it exposes a different vulnerability: digital resemblance can now be created and distributed at scale, potentially placing individuals inside public controversies without their involvement.
The unresolved question is how governments, platforms and content creators should protect personal identity as synthetic media becomes increasingly convincing.
Where Innovation Meets Responsibility.