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Angolan-Portuguese rapper and singer IAMDDB has accused Israel’s government-run social media account of “stealing” her identity in an AI-generated propaganda video.
The now-deleted clip was shared across Israel’s official social media profiles and featured a woman bearing a striking resemblance to the Manchester-based musician, reciting lyrics such as: “Colonisers? Say the name. Jews from Judea, it’s in the damn name, same Hebrew letters, same culture, same prayers remain.”
According to the Manchester Evening News, the AI-generated video was created by Israeli-born, New Jersey-based video director Eyal Be, and was captioned: “‘GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM!’ We did”.
Activist Rafael Shimunov noticed the similarity, uncovering a press shot of IAMDDB during a photoshoot she did for a 2018 Crack profile, wearing a near-identical outfit as the woman in the clip.
Shimunov wrote X: “There is nothing more funny than Israel stealing the identity of a British Angolan-Portuguese singer to create a fake Israeli in an AI video about indigeneity. Her name is IAMDDB.”
IAMDDB – whose real name is Diana Adelaide Rocha De Brito – responded to the clip on X, writing: “Hiya yeah so – why did you steal my identity for something I 100% did not consent to?”
Now, in an official statement, she wrote: “It has come to my attention that AI-generated visuals resembling me have been used in a video shared by the official Israeli government account. I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not authorise, approve, participate in or consent to my image being used in this video. I have no involvement in its creation or its message.”
She added: “I have always approached my music and my art from a place of love, freedom, humanity and connection. I do not support genocide, the killing of innocent people, or the suffering of women, children or families. My heart is with every innocent person experiencing loss, displacement and violence, especially the Palestinian people who have endured unimaginable suffering.”
IAMDDB said that she’d performed in Israel in the past, before “the awareness or understanding of the situation that I have today”.
She said: “Had I understood then what I understand now, I would have made a different decision. That performance should not be taken as an endorsement of any government’s actions, past or present.”
She also raised concern about the use of AI: “I am taking advice and exploring the appropriate steps to protect my image, my work and my rights.”
“I stand for humanity. I stand against the killing and suffering of all innocent people. And I stand for every artist’s right to decide what their name, face and work are associated with. My image is mine. My voice is mine. My values are mine. Free Palestine.”