I've Been Copied in Real Time With AI Deepfake (without permission)

This is real, and terrifying

Let me tell you something crazy that just happened.

I logged into a webinar and had my video on as all these webinars require you do now to stay on, but I had my camera cover on.

I was following along listening and then they cut to show everyone on the Zoom call saying “give so and so a round of applause”.

And then I see it.

I SEE MYSELF ON CAMERA CLAPPING.

Clapping. Clapping. Clapping.

Like a Psycho.

Like, hands together, smiling like and having a good ol’ time.

But here’s the problem.

That’s not me. My camera is covered.

I don’t clap in webinars. I don’t even turn my camera on unless I have to.

But there I was, a deepfake version of me.

This is not a joke.

I stared in disbelief and then noticed something strange. The Zoom background was outdated behind me.

I have since updated it.

They took Zoom footage from a past session and used AI to animate me doing something I never did.

Probably to make it look like there was more energy, more hype, more “social proof” in the room.

To be clear: I did not give them permission to use my likeness like this.

And yet, here we are.

This Should Be Illegal (Because It Already Is)

If you're thinking "That can't be legal...", you're not wrong.

In the U.S., there are laws around publicity rights and misappropriation of likeness. If someone uses your face, voice, or name to promote or represent something without consent.

Problem is it usually only applies to “famous” people.

What Just Happened?

They used my likeness, my actual face and body, and inserted it into a real time fake video stream to make it look like I endorsed or enjoyed something.

This isn’t just misleading. It’s manipulative. It’s dangerous.

This was:

✅ AI-generated
✅ Based on previous footage
✅ Done without my permission

And worst of all: it looked real.

To the casual observer, I was clearly enjoying the show.

Why This Should Terrify You

We’re crossing into an era where trust is eroding fast. You can no longer believe what you see, not even if it’s your own face on the screen.

Here’s what makes this even more alarming:

• It wasn’t satire.
  This wasn’t a joke or a parody. It was subtle. Strategic. Used to create social proof.

• No disclosure.
  Nowhere did they say, “This is AI-generated” or “This is a dramatization.”

• Used to manipulate others.
  If someone sees me clapping, they might think, “Wow, even Josh supports this. It must be legit.”

This Really Happened

This really happened.

Like yesterday.

So I’m waiting for the webinar recording so I can gather evidence.

To be continued…