June 3, 2026
A new investigation raises concerns about digital exploitation, consent, and the growing use of AI-generated Black female influencers
Whether people embrace it or fear it, artificial intelligence has infiltrated almost every aspect of the internet. From the controversial AI-generated content that President Trump has posted on Truth Social to the AI artists topping the music charts and the hundreds of thousands of workers being displaced by AI, AI has become inescapable. However, as AI disrupts the workforce and reshapes how content is created and consumed, it is also raising concerns about consent, ownership, and exploitation. A recent investigation by Glamour UK found that AI-generated influencers modeled after Black women are attracting millions of views online, often without the knowledge or permission of the women whose content and likenesses inspire them.
According to the report, these viral TikTok and Instagram accounts often feature dark-skinned Black women performing dance trends and creating lifestyle content. However, they’re not operated by real people. Instead, many are AI-generated personas designed to attract engagement and drive users toward paid subscription platforms featuring sexualized content.
According to Glamour, the creators behind these accounts frequently build AI models by scraping content from real Black women online. The technology can replicate facial features, body types, movements, and mannerisms. The investigation also revealed that many of the AI-generated characters are depicted with exaggerated physical traits and hypersexualized features. In some cases, the avatars are portrayed with unnaturally dark skin tones and content that appears increasingly tailored toward adult audiences, reinforcing longstanding stereotypes about Black women.
A 21-year-old TikTok creator based in Sierra Leone identified as Josephine says she was shocked to discover that her videos were being replicated by an AI influencer. One video, which featured a realistic, dark-skinned female avatar mimicking a dance video she had posted nearly four years earlier, garnered substantial views, far surpassing her original video.
“I thought someone was tagging me in their own version,” she told Glamour. “But then I realized it wasn’t even a real person. It was an AI version of a Black woman with a dark skin tone that didn’t look real, recreating my every move. From my network of creators, I had heard that there were dark-skinned AI-generated Black women going viral on TikTok. I never gave anyone permission to use my video. I felt like someone had created a sloppy caricature of me for views and likes.”
Cybersecurity expert Sarah Armstrong-Smith referenced the AI deepfakes as a form of “synthetic doppelgänging.”
“There’s enough similarity to mimic the look, traits, and personality of a real human, but giving it a synthetic and AI look…to try to bypass any potential claims on identity theft, or copyright infringement,” she told Glamour. “These AI-generated female personas can pose significant risks to real women and girls who are disproportionately targeted by non-consensual image manipulation, including sexual exploitation and reputational damage,” she added.
TikTok says multiple accounts and content were removed for violating its community guidelines, which prohibit content that promotes sexual services as well as AI that uses content published by private individuals without consent. The social media platform also bans spam and impersonation accounts. Furthermore, a spokesperson for TikTok notes that more than 1 billion videos have been labeled as AI-generated on the platform to help users identify content generated by humans versus artificial intelligence. Likewise, a spokesperson for Meta told the publication that accounts violating its policies have also been removed.
Still, as fake influencers become more sophisticated and widespread, critics say stronger safeguards, greater transparency, and clearer legal protections will be necessary to prevent the exploitation and monetization of people’s identities, particularly those of Black women, who have historically been disproportionately targeted by harmful stereotypes.
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