As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience, I’ve seen my fair share of fake news and hoaxes that have left audiences stunned and disillusioned. The recent death hoax surrounding Steve Harvey, though it was quickly debunked, is just another example of how technology can be used to spread misinformation at an alarming rate.
It’s hard to have missed it: Steve Harvey is indeed well-known. Known for his roles as host of Family Feud, comedian, author, and more, he’s admired for his vibrant style, humorous perspectives on love and life, and, not least, his distinctive mustache. When the unfortunate rumor spread that this popular figure from Ohio had passed away a few days ago, many were dismayed. Thankfully, these reports proved false, and we now understand the fascinating tale behind the death hoax and how AI played a part in it.
How Did A.I. Lead To The Steve Harvey Death Hoax?
I’m sorry to say, but it appears that one of the downsides of being a well-known figure is having people speculate or spread false reports about your demise prematurely. Regrettably, this unfortunate event has happened recently with the exceptional game show host, Steve Harvey, who, by the way, is very much alive. It was on December 17, late in the day, when a headline titled “Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering The Legacy Of A Comedy Legend” popped up on Trend Cast News (as reported by The Wrap) and was then disseminated by news aggregator Newsbreak.
Swiftly spreading was the false report, causing an uproar as the former Miss Universe pageant host’s name surged in Google trends and social media platform X became flooded with comments. However, it appeared that many people swiftly realized the truth, too – Harvey was, in fact, still alive.
- “Gmorn’n did anyone else wake up to Steve Harvey passed away news and it was a Spam or virus link”
- “Chill out Steve Harvey did not die… Why they doin him like that?”
- “They got me fucked up thinking Steve Harvey died today”
It turns out that the post was created by Artificial Intelligence, and, according to Reuters, Newsbreak has been caught posting completely false information and making erroneous (and potentially illegal) changes to the stories it takes from other sites, and done so at least 40 other times since 2021.
On numerous occasions during recent years, we’ve witnessed how quickly misinformation can gain traction and be presented as truth. While it’s true that an AI-created image of Harvey fleeing monsters in the woods while fronting a hard rock band might bring a smile to our faces, things take a serious turn when this technology is used to deceive us. Claims like Disney World being flooded by Hurricane Milton or creating realistic forgeries of celebrities and others could spread rapidly, posing a significant threat to public trust and safety.
Steve Harvey has mostly been active on his social media this week as per usual, but he hasn’t explicitly addressed the recent hoax about his demise. This could possibly be due to the fact that there have been numerous similar false reports regarding his death in the past year or so, and he may simply be tired of addressing such rumors.
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2024-12-19 22:07