In a bizarre twist in the world of gaming videos, popular YouTuber Mark Brown, known for his insightful channel Game Maker’s Toolkit, has discovered that an AI-generated clone of his voice has been used to narrate a video about Doom: The Dark Ages—without his consent.

While Brown has amassed over 1.65 million subscribers by delivering deep dives into game mechanics and design, this incident reveals a much darker side of content creation. The video in question, posted on the obscure channel Game Offline Lore, is distinctly outside of Brown’s usual content, raising alarms not just for copyright issues, but for personal identity theft.

"The thought that someone would replicate my persona like this—it's not just theft; it's personal," Brown expressed. He likened this situation to a form of plagiarism, explaining that it taps into something deeply personal and intrinsic about who he is as a creator.

As AI technology advances, instances of deepfakes and voice cloning are becoming rampant, posing serious challenges for content creators like Brown. In a digital landscape where voices can be synthesized, the risk of impersonation threatens not only their work but their very identity.

After filing a privacy complaint with YouTube, Brown expected a swift response, as the platform reportedly has strong measures in place to deal with such violations. However, over 48 hours later, both videos remain live, and the creator has allegedly begun deleting critical comments that recognize the use of Brown’s voice.

YouTube has acknowledged the issue, stating they expanded their privacy request policies last year to include AI-generated content that mimics users’ voices and faces. A spokesperson confirmed they are investigating the situation and will act if any violations are confirmed.

Brown, who dedicates over 100 hours producing his carefully crafted videos, was shocked to learn about this unauthorized use of his voice, especially after a fan alerted him to it. As if the incident weren't upsetting enough, he found a second video using a similar AI voice, further amplifying the violation.

Though Game Offline Lore boasts around 744,000 subscribers, many of its 259 videos feature distinguishable AI narration. However, the problematic Doom video has garnered more than 60,000 views and is likely profiting off ads, exploiting Brown’s persona for gain.

As a seasoned creator, Brown is no stranger to content theft, having previously dealt with people who react to or upload his work without permission. Yet, the violation of having his voice cloned for someone else’s profit hits particularly close to home. "I can’t imagine anyone doing this would be empathetic at all," he said, emphasizing the frustration of watching someone profit by hijacking his unique identity.