Screenshot from the now-deleted anti-drug campaign in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s prison service has withdrawn an anti-drug video featuring virtual Korean pop stars created by artificial intelligence, after social media users said it, on the contrary, resembled a promotional campaign for illicit substances.The Department of Correctional Services uploaded the controversial video titled “Obsession: Sugar Coated Trap” on its social media platforms on Friday. The one-minute video featured four AI-generated K-pop stars named Weedy, Icy, Coke and Little E — representing cannabis, ice, cocaine and etomidate, a strictly controlled narcotic agent — singing and dancing while promoting their effects.
“Give me a snore,” Icy told viewers. “With a romantic puff of smoke, just one stick will help you forget all the worries until you’re chilled out!” Weidi said.The video was intended to warn the public about the dangers of drug use, with the K-pop stars eventually turning into four old men locked behind bars, and the video ended with the slogan: “Drugs are very harmful and can ruin lives.”
However, the message backfired.
The video was removed twice after backlash from the public
The department quickly removed the video and reviewed it after social media users said it appeared to promote drug use. One Threads user commented, “After listening to their intros, I want to try[using drugs].” Another said the video looked like promotion, adding: “They mentioned the names (of the drugs), and how good they felt.”The edited version showed the four band members turning into ugly old men who were later locked behind bars, but it was also removed from the section’s Facebook page on Saturday night.
The administration later published a statement thanking netizens for their opinions and apologizing for the production and delivery of the video.“In the future, we will evaluate our entire process for producing promotional content for social media, and we will ensure that the crime prevention and education message is clear and accurate,” the ministry’s Facebook page manager said.The department said the video was produced using artificial intelligence and aims to show that “in a common way among young people, drug abuse is a poison packaged in a sugar-coated form, reminding them not to be tempted by it.”
A company spokesperson said that since the film was handled internally by staff responsible for multimedia production and social media management, it did not require additional public funds.
Anti-drug campaigns face scrutiny
The incident comes months after Hong Kong’s Security Bureau apologized for an advertising error in another anti-drug campaign, which appeared to encourage the use of illicit substances when viewed from certain angles. In March, a banner featuring Cantopop star Aaron Kwok and the slogan “Let’s stand strong together and don’t do drugs” went viral after some words were blacked out from certain angles, leaving the following message: “Stand together and don’t do drugs.”
“The management said it will continue to review and improve its advertising strategies to promote its work more effectively on social media platforms.
