Australian influencer Lily Jay has responded after an investigation by ABC News earlier this week said it had uncovered a "trail of AI-generated fakery" that cast doubt on some of her charity foundation's humanitarian work.
The investigation examined the recently established Lily Jay Foundation, which says it operates projects in Gaza , Uganda, Sudan , Nepal and the Philippines, among other locations.
According to ABC , several videos published by the foundation contained AI-generated elements, including a digital likeness of Jay appearing at an aid distribution site, fabricated signboards bearing the charity's logo and distorted hands, a common indicator of AI -generated imagery.
Jay, an Australian convert to Islam who shares lifestyle and religious content with more than three million Instagram followers, broke her silence on Wednesday by posting an official statement from the foundation on her social media accounts.
"Please see the official press statement from the Lily Jay Foundation. I'll be sharing more thoughts directly with you all soon as the live field updates roll out," she wrote on X.
In its statement, the foundation acknowledged using AI-generated footage, saying that "members of our marketing team incorporated a small number of AI-generated introductory clips featuring Lily Jay".
"These brief introductory sequences, typically lasting only a few seconds, were used solely as opening hooks before transitioning to genuine footage of our humanitarian work. They represented only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of clips shared across our platforms and were never used to depict, replace, or fabricate humanitarian activities or aid delivered on the ground," the statement continued.
The foundation added that its humanitarian projects are "genuine" and continue to be delivered through local partners and field teams in multiple countries. ABC's investigation also raised questions about several of the foundation's claimed operations. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lily Jay (@real.lilyjay) The broadcaster reported that the Lily Jay Foundation was not registered to operate an orphanage in Uganda , where such facilities are required by law to be licensed.
It also said it could not identify an orphanage registered under the name "Ada Nur", the name Jay has used to refer to the facility.
According to ABC , several days after it made enquiries, a company named "Lilly Foundation Limited" was registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, although it said it could not confirm whether the filing was connected to Jay or her charity.
The broadcaster also reported that it was unable to geolocate a bakery in Gaza that the foundation claimed to have established.
The foundation appeared to address that point in its statement, saying it does not "disclose precise GPS coordinates or identifying landmarks" in order to protect the safety of its local partners and field teams.
The ABC investigation prompted widespread speculation about the foundation's activities after Jay did not publicly respond to the allegations for several days.