Singer IAMDDB Speaks Out After AI Rapper Resembles Her Without Consent

Manchester-raised singer and rapper IAMDDB has condemned an AI-generated music video featuring a digital performer closely resembling her, insisting she never gave permission for her likeness to be used.

The video, shared by official Israeli government social media accounts in October, has since been removed. Its creator denies deliberately copying the singer, raising questions about how artificial intelligence can produce recognisable likenesses and who is responsible when it does.

AI Rapper Sparks Questions Over IAMDDB Resemblance

The video, titled Jews from Judea (We DID), featured an AI-generated rapper performing in front of a crowd. Social media users quickly noticed similarities between the fictional performer and IAMDDB, whose real name is Diana Adelaide Rocha De Brito.

Comparisons with a 2018 photoshoot showed similarities in hairstyle, clothing and appearance, with some questioning whether photographs of the musician had been used to generate the character.

Artist and activist Rafael Shimunov highlighted the resemblance on X, prompting IAMDDB to respond on 16 October.

“Hiya yeah so - why did you steal my identity for something I 100% did not consent to?” she wrote.

The video was subsequently deleted from the government’s social media accounts, although copies remained available elsewhere online.

IAMDDB Denies Consent and Defends Her Image

On 20 October 2026, IAMDDB published a two-part statement on Instagram confirming she had no involvement in the video’s creation.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not authorise, approve, participate in, or consent to my image or likeness being used in this video,” she wrote.

The singer expressed particular concern about AI being used to make artists appear involved in projects or messages they had never agreed to support.

She confirmed that she was taking advice and exploring appropriate steps to protect her image, work and rights. No formal legal proceedings have been publicly announced.

IAMDDB concluded by defending performers’ control over their identities.

“My image is mine. My voice is mine. My values are mine.”

Her statement raises questions extending beyond this particular video, particularly as AI-generated performers become increasingly realistic.

Creator Says AI Resemblance Was Unintentional

The video was created by Israeli-born director Eyal Ben Moshe, who works under the name Eyal Be.

He explained that the character, named Nova, was an entirely AI-generated rapper who had already appeared in two earlier videos. The disputed clip was the third featuring the fictional performer.

Ben Moshe said he had originally instructed the AI system to generate a Latina rapper but preferred one of the Black characters it produced.

He maintained that he had never heard of IAMDDB before the controversy and had not deliberately instructed the software to reproduce her appearance.

Although acknowledging similarities in the character’s styling, he denied intentionally copying the singer.

He also admitted he could not establish which images the AI models might have used as references.

Describing the resemblance as an “unfortunate AI glitch”, Ben Moshe maintained that the character could have been any fictional performer.

He said the video had been independently produced and that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently requested permission to share it, which he granted.

His explanation introduces an important distinction. An AI-generated character may resemble a real performer even when its creator claims no particular individual was used as a reference.

However, without access to the complete production process and underlying training material, it is not possible to establish whether photographs of IAMDDB influenced the resulting character.

Could UK Law Protect Artists Against AI Lookalikes?

The controversy comes as the UK government examines whether existing laws adequately protect performers against unauthorised AI-generated replicas.

In March 2026, the government acknowledged that current legislation does not cover every situation involving the reproduction of someone’s face or voice without consent.

Copyright and passing off laws may offer protection in certain circumstances, but the UK does not currently have a general, standalone legal right preventing every unauthorised use of someone’s likeness.

On 23 October 2026, the government confirmed that it was considering further action, including a consultation specifically addressing digital replicas.

It also announced plans for an AI Labelling Taskforce examining how artificially generated material should be identified online. Both initiatives are expected to begin before the end of 2026.

The government has also indicated that it will consider whether new legal protections covering digital replicas or personality rights are necessary.

For actors, musicians and other public figures, these proposals could influence how their faces, voices and performances are protected against AI impersonation.

The challenge is particularly complicated when a creator claims a resemblance occurred accidentally rather than through deliberate copying.

Even where there is no intention to imitate someone, the resulting video could still lead viewers to believe that a real performer participated.

The IAMDDB dispute demonstrates why questions about consent cannot always be answered simply by examining the prompts supplied to an AI system.

As digital performers become more convincing, creators may face greater pressure to check whether their fictional characters resemble identifiable people before releasing them.

For IAMDDB, the central issue is straightforward: she did not participate in the video and does not want her identity associated with it.

Whether cases like hers lead to stronger legal protections will depend on how governments respond to the expanding use of AI-generated faces and voices.

Go Follow IAMDDB: Instagram @iamddb for all the latest

Image credit: Photography by @spydersweb_ / Instagram @iamddb. Styling by @gelmiramanico_.