A TikTok user's face was used without permission in online ads created with artificial intelligence, part of a growing trend of unauthorized AI-generated content being used to promote products.

Joan Flaherty, who you can find on TikTok here, had a follower send her the ad featuring her likeness being used to promote a product from a company called LUOAMYSHOP.

The catch is, she had no involvement in creating the video.

“They’re taking a lot of different people’s faces,” Flaherty said. “The first time I saw it I was kind of horrified.”

Flaherty, along with others, has filed complaints with TikTok, but says the platform has yet to meaningfully intervene.

“I reported it on TikTok but it kept coming back as no violation,” she said. “TikTok sent me an email saying they were removed, but they were still there.”

The video appeared to be created using AI tools capable of replicating human faces and voices with alarming accuracy. For Flaherty, the experience feels like a warning sign.

“It’s unreal. It’s not an issue that existed five years ago,” she said. “What really worries me is there’s no regulation on AI by the government, and I think that’s very dangerous.”

While creators like Flaherty are raising awareness, it remains unclear if TikTok or the companies behind the ads will face any penalties.

For now, people must be cautious of any AI generated content, as it remains mostly unregulated.