I’m not sure how to say this nicely, but AI-generated celebrity content is really making me angry. I was going to say something stronger, but let’s just stick with “very, very mad.”
Have you looked at Facebook, Instagram, Reddit—any of them lately? I haven’t even ventured into the others. But goodness gracious, there are AI-generated stories about celebrities flooding social media. These stories are completely false—total lies—making it nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction.
For example, I got so excited when I saw an AI-generated image of the original Magnum P.I. cast—Tom Selleck and the rest—older now, with gray hair. The post claimed Magnum P.I. was returning to CBS this January, with all of them filming 12 new episodes in Hawaii. It looked real, complete with a convincing blurb. But guess what? It was all made up. A total lie. And it made me furious.
These AI-generated images look incredibly real. That color photo of the Magnum P.I. cast was so convincing. And let’s talk about The Beatles for a second. Have you seen the fake AI photos and posts of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr crying over John Lennon’s grave? The tombstone itself was AI-generated. It never happened. But it spreads like wildfire.
This is happening constantly with celebrities—people just make things up. Why? Simple: clicks. The more engagement they get, the more the algorithm pushes it. Even if I post, “This is fake AI garbage,” I’m still helping to spread it. That reaction fuels the system and earns them money.
A collage of a person in a suit. AI-generated content may be incorrect.
There’s no legal accountability. No clear individual or organization to hold responsible. It’s just everywhere. It makes me not trust anything I see online. And honestly? It’s destroying the internet. You have no idea what’s real anymore.
And these deepfakes? They’re blurring ethical boundaries. There’s no law requiring that AI content be labeled clearly. Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter)—they could enforce labeling, but they won’t. Why? Because people engage with the content. Engagement means profit. And they love it.
What’s worse is that these fake stories could put public figures in danger. Imagine the outrage stirred up by something false. Celebrities have to stay on guard 24/7 now. I feel terrible for Paul McCartney—there’s so much fake content about him floating around, it’s maddening.
So what’s the bigger picture? Here’s my theory: this is a test. A test to see how effective fake content can be. You wouldn’t believe how many people told me Magnum P.I. was coming back. Or that Julian Lennon was doing something huge. All fake.
And what’s to stop politicians from doing the same? Nothing. They’re already doing it. I saw an AI-generated post about Donald Trump—completely fake, with a fake image—and people believed it. This goes both ways. Any political party can do it to another. Even people unaffiliated with any party can spread misinformation. And they can do it with ultra-realistic photos and videos.
This could seriously change how Americans think—and not for the better. Remember when we got our news from newspapers, TV, or radio? Now it’s TikTok. I saw a fake AI-generated video on TikTok with Mark Cuban promoting a vitamin that supposedly regrows teeth. If you know anything about Mark Cuban, you know he hates those kinds of claims. But there he was—at least, an AI version of him—selling snake oil.
I don’t know what the solution is, but I feel like someone needs to pass a law. I hesitate to even say that, but I don’t see politicians doing it—because they’re already using AI against each other.
It scares me. Honestly, it freaks me out.
Just know this: anything you see posted by the Tampa Bay Technology Center in Clearwater is going to be truthful. Created by real people—like me, or our president Dave Dockery, or others on our team. We’re committed to giving you honest information about technology.
I’ve seen AI-generated posts about fictional supercomputers that don’t even exist. Total nonsense. And I don’t like it.
I don’t know what to do next. But I’m asking for your guidance.