Chinese authorities have arrested a man under charges of using an AI-powered content generation tool to spread rumors stating that Taiwan superstar Jay Chou owed some $150 million in gambling debts to a Macau gaming operator.
Last week rumors started emerging on mainland Chinese social media platforms suggesting that a “top-tier male star” had gambled heavily in Macau for an extended period.
Speculation escalated after mainland China’s rumor mill claimed that the unidentified star had gambled heavily for seven consecutive days, incurring substantial losses totaling approximately $150 million.
It was suggested that the star had to mortgage his properties and private jets in Beijing and Shanghai to settle the debts.
Netizens began to speculate about the identity of the star, with names like Jay Chou and fellow musician Wang Feng being mentioned. However, Chou’s fans quickly dismissed the claims, citing that the artist has been in Australia for the past month, focusing on his new album and spending time with family.
On March 11th, Chou’s record label, JVR Music, issued a statement addressing the rumors. The company stated, “There was a trending search on Weibo about ‘a top-tier male star gambling heavily in Macau’ and other related news.
“Some netizens insinuated that the male star was our artiste, Jay Chou. The company hereby declares that all the content of the rumor has nothing to do with Jay Chou. Please do not spread false information.”
On the same day, the 46-year-old singer took to Instagram Stories to share photos of himself working on music and enjoying time with friends, including fellow Taiwanese musicians Alan Kuo and Gary Yang, in Australia.
He captioned the photos, “Work hard, play hard,” and previously made a special guest appearance during Taiwanese rock band Mayday’s concert in Sydney on February 22th.
Amid these developments, actor Huang Xiaoming also addressed speculation he was the alleged indebted celebrity on March 12th by posting photos of a sunset on Weibo and commenting on his location in Fujian province, where he is filming a TV series with actress Zhao Liying.
When asked in the comments if he had lost over $150 million recently, Huang responded with a quip, “Is it Happy Beans?” referencing a virtual currency used in an online game.
However, on March 14th China’s Ministry of Public Security announced that the rumor was entirely false, created by a 36-year-old man named Xu Mouqiang using an AI-powered content generation tool.Â
Xu was said to have input sensational keywords into the software, resulting in a story that quickly gained traction on social media platforms, sparking heated discussions. For his actions, Xu has been sentenced to eight days of administrative detention for causing significant disruption to public order.
The false rumor also referenced a report from Global Financial Watch, which claimed irregular cross-border transactions related to the alleged gambling activities.
These details included 17 wire transfers amounting to RMB860 million ($118.8 million) directed to a casino account via offshore entities and flagged by the Macau Monetary Authority.
