Ed Sheeran has fallen victim to a controversial artificial intelligence trend during his recent tour of Australia, with fake images of the 35-year-old pop star being widely circulated online. The deceptive content has been generated by various businesses, including a winery, a gym, and a hairdresser, as part of his The Loop Tour across the country.
Fake Encounters Fool Followers
Some of the posts depict an AI-generated version of Ed Sheeran posing for selfies or prominently displaying business brand names. One particularly convincing image shows the singer shaking hands with the owner of a Melbourne grocer's, The Fresh Feast in Hawthorn, which successfully deceived numerous followers on Instagram. Reactions ranged from amazement to concern, with one commenter exclaiming, 'No way, that is awesome,' while others questioned the ethics of such manipulations.
Political and Business Involvement
Victorian MP Brad Rowswell joined the trend by creating his own fake AI post, featuring 'Ed' with an arm around the Member for Sandringham. Rowswell humorously noted, 'Fresh from three incredible performances at Marvel Stadium, has anyone else noticed that Ed Sheeran is popping up everywhere around Melbourne?' He quickly clarified, 'Just to be clear - this is AI-generated…' to avoid misleading his audience.
Another fabricated image, produced by a Queensland hairdresser named Lisa from The House of York Hair Design, shows the fake Ed receiving a haircut at a Sunshine Coast salon. Lisa explained, 'I just jumped on the bandwagon for a bit of fun, but I secretly hoped he'd call in for a haircut on the way to Australia Zoo.' She added, 'I literally had family, clients, friends, etc., messaging me, calling me straight away once I'd posted it. It's actually incredible how accurate and how easy it was to create.'
Mixed Reactions and Ethical Concerns
Not all responses have been positive. An unnamed winery in Victoria also used an AI image of Ed browsing their offerings, but the post faced criticism from followers. One person complained, 'People manipulating fake pictures of Ed to try to promote their business should at least tag it as AI,' while another remarked, 'not a good look,' highlighting growing concerns over transparency and trust in digital content.
The Rise of AI-Generated Celebrity Content
This trend exploits genuine sightings of visiting celebrities, with creators—often locals—pretending that stars like Sheeran have 'dropped by' for a selfie to boost engagement. According to the online tech journal Futurism, the phenomenon has gained momentum since the launch of Google's video-generating tool, AI Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), late last year.
Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources addressed the issue in a statement last year, noting, 'AI‑generated content is already common in business and marketing contexts, and its realism and reach has increased as the technology has advanced.' The department warned, 'Because of this, it can now be difficult to tell if content has been modified or generated by AI. This can make it more difficult for people to trust the content they encounter. It can also make it easier for people to commit fraud and other malicious acts.'
However, the government also acknowledged potential benefits, stating, '[It] may help to create a point of difference with your competitors. It can also support your business to build a foundation of trust with your consumers,' suggesting a nuanced approach to regulating and utilizing AI in marketing.
