Fake Duterte Persona Exposed as AI Creation

A Facebook persona claiming to be a grandson of former president Rodrigo Duterte has been revealed as a synthetic online persona made from AI. The persona, named Lance Duterte, has over 382,000 followers and has been active for years, with its posts becoming increasingly believable due to the accessibility of AI. This is not the first time a fake Duterte persona has been created, with AI-generated images of Duterte statues being shared online in 2025. The ease of creating fakes and the lack of safeguards in AI companies have raised concerns about the risks of AI. Researchers and employees have warned that companies are doing too little to protect the world against AI's potential dangers. The development of AI has outpaced the systems' ability to act in ways that match human goals and values, leading to warnings about the need for safeguards comparable to those in the nuclear power and aviation industries.