YouTube is flooded with fake content using a mix of artificial intelligence-generated and manipulated media to spread disinformation about Black celebrities. Many of the videos falsely link allegations of rape and sex trafficking to figures like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Steve Harvey, Denzel Washington, and Bishop T.D. Jakes, using manipulated images and clickbait titles. The flood of fake content coincides with 2024 election disinformation fears, and YouTube announced plans to enforce a new policy for synthetic and manipulated media. Some of the fake news videos were over 87% likely to have been AI-generated, but it can be hard to distinguish between AI-generated media and manipulated media. Some channels posting fake AI-generated news content have continued to gain views and revenue despite YouTube’s actions to remove and demonetize. However, the production and circulation of false, manipulated, and AI-generated content have threatened information ecosystems.
AI-generated fake news targets Black celebrities on YouTube
