MGM China Alerts Public Over Misleading Deepfake Video

MGM China Addresses Deepfake Video Featuring Pansy Ho

MGM China has responded after a deepfake video emerged depicting its Chairperson, Pansy Ho, promoting a fake investment scheme.

The casino operator confirmed that neither it nor Ho are connected to the “entirely fraudulent” plan shown in the video and urged the public to exercise “maximum caution.”

In an official statement, MGM China said: “We reiterate that neither the Company nor Ms. Pansy Ho has at any point participated in, approved or endorsed the investment plan presented in the deepfake video. The video was neither produced nor distributed by the Company or Ms. Ho. We strongly condemn such acts of impersonation and misrepresentation and reserve all legal rights to protect our interests.”

The incident comes amid growing concern over AI-generated deepfakes, following several high profile cases that have highlighted the risks these technologies pose to the public.

Last year, AI-generated explicit images of Taylor Swift circulated on X, one of which received more than 47 million views before being removed. The voices of Swift, Steve Harvey and podcaster Joe Rogan were also exploited to promote scams promising government payouts.

Harvey told CNN at the time: “I have always built my reputation on authenticity and people trust that. It’s concerning when my identity is misused in this way.”

MGM has urged internet users not to share the video and warned that distributing such content could have legal consequences.

AI Risks Under Review

The deepfake underlines the potential dangers of AI as it becomes more widely used in gaming and society.

At the recent SBC Summit in Lisbon, experts emphasized that human oversight remains crucial despite AI’s capabilities. Phyllyp Sedicias, Country Director at Click Hunters, noted that without careful monitoring, mistakes can quickly escalate.

André Sapuca, Principal Product Manager at BetMGM Brazil, added that poorly prompted AI often produces errors, from confusing bonus offers to nonsensical social media posts. He said: “It was clear the content was AI-generated, but the greater concern was the lack of review — raising questions about whether anyone checked the material before publishing.”