Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s Voice Deepfaked in AI Video, Authorities Investigate

An AI‑generated video titled “Oil Cannot Defeat You” used a synthetic version of Taiwan President Lai Ching‑te’s voice, prompting public complaints and a police inquiry. The clip was created by Wei Chun‑you, a former director of the Kuomintang’s new‑media department, who has received support from KMT figures after the investigation began.

Legal experts say that impersonating a public figure’s voice with deep‑fake technology can breach Taiwan’s criminal code, potentially constituting forgery, fraud, defamation or violations of personality‑rights and data‑protection laws. The case has revived debate over the limits of free speech, with legislators noting that speech rights do not extend to fabricated defamation. Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau opened the case on July 26, and the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee previously held hearings in 2021 on deep‑fake‑related risks such as election misinformation and fraudulent content.