A recent investigation by CBC News has revealed that a viral series of TikTok videos featuring a young Canadian man accusing Indian immigrants of “stealing jobs” was entirely created using artificial intelligence.
The videos, which gained significant traction online, showed a white man in his 20s–introduced as “Josh”–ranting about not being able to find employment in Canada. In one clip, he alleges he was rejected from a job at Tim Hortons because he didn’t speak Punjabi. “All the jobs are taken by Indians,” Josh says, echoing a sentiment many flagged as racially charged.
But according to CBC’s visual investigations team, Josh isn’t real. The person shown in the videos never existed. Instead, he was created using AI by a Toronto-based company called Nexa, which specialises in recruitment tech. The firm’s founder, Divy Nayyar, confirmed the persona was artificially generated.
TikTok has since removed the videos, citing a breach of its community guidelines for not clearly disclosing that the content was AI-generated.
The controversy didn’t stop at the social media platform. Tim Hortons, the company mentioned in one of the videos, issued a statement calling the situation “extremely frustrating and concerning.” The company also said it struggled to get the content taken down, despite its false implications.
When questioned, Nayyar admitted the videos were a deliberate creation meant to stir conversation. “I wanted to have fun with the idea that ‘Indians are taking over the job market’,” he told CBC, adding it was a reflection of what some people already believe. He described the campaign as a way to “connect with like-minded young graduates who are looking for jobs.”
However, the explanation didn’t go over well with many online. Social media users slammed Nayyar for irresponsibly fuelling xenophobic narratives and potentially inciting racial tensions.
The videos are part of a growing trend dubbed “fake-fluencing,” where AI-generated personalities are used to market products or provoke engagement. In this case, Nexa used Google’s Veo AI video software–specifically the latest version, Veo3, which was released in May—to create the clips. The technology allows for ultra-realistic videos based solely on text input.
While Nayyar insists he supports immigration, he has also used his personal Instagram to argue that the government and companies need to create more job opportunities. But critics say his method crossed the line from social commentary to dangerous misinformation.