Elliott Choy deepfake video — Sep 2026

The gambling and insider trading platform Kalshi faced significant public criticism after it was discovered that the company used generative AI to repurpose a video from YouTuber Elliott Choy into a promotional advertisement. The unauthorized use of the creator's content involved using AI to alter his appearance, effectively changing his race in the final advertisement.

What happened

Elliott Choy discovered the deepfake advertisement while being served ads on YouTube. The original footage, which Kalshi utilized without permission, was a video Choy had uploaded to his channel the previous year documenting his move into a new apartment in New York City. Through the use of generative AI, the company modified the video to replace the Asian-American creator with a non-existent white individual to shill the platform's services.

Following the discovery, NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn confirmed the authenticity of the advertisement. In response to inquiries, a Kalshi representative claimed the ad was old and stated that the company no longer utilizes AI-generated advertisements. The representative further noted that the company is currently reviewing its relationship with the third-party agency responsible for producing the content. Despite Kalshi's public claims of shifting toward human-centric marketing and hiring high-profile talent, the incident has raised ongoing questions regarding how many other influencers may have had their content misappropriated by the company and whether the firm intends to provide restitution to those affected.