An investigation has uncovered a sprawling network of AI-generated videos on YouTube that use the likeness of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma to spread falsehoods about Singapore. The videos, which number roughly 260, have collectively amassed more than one million views, raising concerns about coordinated disinformation targeting the city-state.
The investigation identified 32 YouTube channels that published 300 videos featuring AI avatars of Ma between September 2025 and June 2026. Among these, 259 videos—approximately 86 percent—contained at least one false or misleading claim in their titles, transcripts, or both. The problematic content originated from 25 channels, with a small cluster showing clear signs of coordination.
How the fake videos work
Most of the videos adopted one of two formats. The first used a near-static AI avatar of Ma reading from a script, complete with subtitles. The second paired a still photograph of Ma with an animated audio waveform and a synthetic voice to mimic human narration. While some channels included disclosures that the content was AI-generated, the labels were not prominent, and the overall presentation gave a strong impression that the real Jack Ma was speaking.
The claims made by these AI avatars ranged from bizarre to conspiratorial. One video alleged that 10 countries were joining forces to "encircle and suppress" Singapore. Another claimed that Singapore was cutting off other nations' access to food and water by tightening its control of the Strait of Malacca. There is no evidence that Ma ever made any of these statements, and the videos did not cite any original speech or interview to support the fabricated quotes.
Why Jack Ma's likeness is used
Experts say Ma's celebrity status and association with wealth and finance make him an especially effective vehicle for disinformation. "The content seems to have a lot to do with money and finance," said one political scientist. "The fact that Ma is a very successful businessperson means that his likeness will draw attention for topics relating to finance, investment, and wealth management."
The technique of borrowing a public figure's authority through AI is not new. A similar disinformation campaign earlier used the likeness of late American investor Charlie Munger to target Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The repeated use of trusted faces illustrates how synthetic media can exploit an audience's tendency to believe familiar authority figures.
A mix of praise and falsehood
Interestingly, most of the 259 flagged videos were not overtly hostile to Singapore. More than three-quarters had titles that praised the country. Some videos opened with alarmist claims—one said "3,000 foreign investors" had fled Singapore amid an economic collapse—only to spend the rest of the runtime debunking that premise and extolling Singapore's resilience. Others used flattery as a wrapper for falsehoods, such as one video that declared Singapore would be "an absolute safe haven" in the event of World War III and urged overseas Chinese to relocate there.
Another tactic involved blending verifiable facts with outright conspiracy. One video accurately described Singapore's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System and Jurong Rock Caverns, then reframed those infrastructure projects as covert preparations for war. Experts said this hybrid approach could lull viewers into treating fabricated claims as credible. "These narratives create a false impression and may confuse viewers, especially those less familiar with Singapore," the political scientist said.
The target audience appears to be Mandarin speakers across Asia, particularly wealthy Chinese nationals looking to move their families or money abroad. The positive tone and focus on Singapore as a stable, safe location are likely designed to appeal to people considering relocation or investment.
Clear signs of coordination
The investigation found strong evidence of coordinated publishing. Five of the 25 YouTube channels responsible for the 259 videos showed synchronized behavior: all were created within a five-day window in March 2026. Two channels were set up just 25 minutes apart, and four posted their first videos within roughly 40 minutes of one another. On 22 separate days, all five channels posted within the same 24-hour period, often following a fixed 15-minute schedule. On at least two occasions, different channels uploaded videos just one second apart.
The thumbnails also followed a highly consistent template: Ma's head and shoulders, two or three lines of Mandarin text, and a background image related to the topic. These patterns point to an automated publishing workflow and possibly a single operator behind the network.
Reach and distribution
The 259 videos had attracted almost 1.1 million views, 54,000 subscribers, and 31,000 likes and comments combined as of early July. While those numbers may seem modest by social media standards, experts say they are consistent with "pushed content" whose engagement is boosted artificially. At that volume, the network could easily turn malicious if the operator chooses to shift the narrative, particularly during a crisis.
The videos did not stay hidden in obscure corners of YouTube. Google searches for "Jack Ma Singapore" in June surfaced the fake videos directly beneath the search engine's AI Overview box, and they also dominated the top results under the Videos tab. Chinese-language searches likewise returned the fake videos, though not as prominently. Beyond YouTube, at least two TikTok accounts posted similar fake Jack Ma content; one video drew more than 470,000 views and 13,300 shares, outperforming every individual YouTube video in the dataset.
Renting authority, not renting Jack Ma
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Source:CNA News