Over Labor Day weekend, false rumors spread online claiming President Trump had died, and millions believed them. Here’s why fake news travels faster than facts and how news avoidance fuels the problem.
That photo might be an AI fake, here’s how to tell
Bing and ChatGPT
Did Prince William and Prince Harry make up?
Not even close. But thanks to Bing’s AI image generator, they practically skipped through a meadow hand in hand like it’s the finale of a very weird British rom-com reboot. No Daddy intervention, therapist or overpriced raspberry jam required.
To get around Bing’s copyright controls, I didn’t use their names. Here’s the prompt: “Two brothers in their 30s, holding hands, gazing lovingly, dressed in royal military uniforms. One’s bald, one’s a redhead. Cinematic lighting. Photorealistic. 16:9 ratio.”
And yeah, the photos are one pixel glitch away from joining the cast of The Polar Express.
If I had time, though, I could make them look very real. With scams on the rise and fake news everywhere, spotting phony photos is a superpower you need. So let’s talk about how you can do it first with a little help from tech.
🔍 Tools see through the fakery
Sure, you should still do a good ol’ reverse image search. But today’s AI tools are getting scary smart. The image might be brand-new and never have existed on the web before. That’s when the next-level detection comes in.
Meet these AI detectives:
- DeepFake-o-meter: Upload a photo or video, and it’ll scan it with multiple detection models to tell you how fake it might be. I got a “server busy” message testing my princes’ image.
- Sightengine: A behind-the-scenes powerhouse that spots digital tampering, even if the naked eye can’t. It gave me 99% that the princes were fake.
- Hive’s AI-generated image detector: Used by major media outlets to tell if that photo of the pope in a Balenciaga jacket is AI (Spoiler: It was). Yup, the princes are 99% AI foolery here, too.
These tools aren’t foolproof, but they’re your best shot at sniffing out the phonies. It’s like using a blacklight at a hotel: Once you see what’s there, you’ll never trust blindly again.
🚨 Red flags to watch for
You don’t need fancy tools to start spotting fakes. Your own eyes can still catch some classic tells:
Clever election scams targeting you
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Fake political calls, texts and videos are nothing new. They’ve been flooding Americans’ phones for months. Some have a simple goal: Steal your money. (I’ll pass along a few tips for spotting those below.) Others are looking for detailed personal info, like a text scam warning there’s a problem with your ballot.
🏕️ From campfires to code fires: Scouting America (yep, the rebranded Boy Scouts) launched AI and cybersecurity badges. Scouts learn about deepfakes, algorithmic bias and how to train (not just talk to) chatbots. The cybersecurity badge teaches password safety, phishing defense and digital citizenship. Forget tying knots. “Be prepared” now means knowing how to spot fake news and fake faces.
Stop annoying political texts
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I’ve heard from the presidential candidates, their families and every politician within a 100-mile radius. The texts don’t stop in October of an election year, especially when it comes to a presidential election.
How NOT to sound dumb online: Common mistakes and grammar fixes
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The early days of social media were a place to keep in touch with classmates, friends and family. It’s devolved into a frenzy of privacy invasion, targeted advertising, trolls and fake news. Surprisingly, these are still the most popular digital platforms worldwide.
🤯 Fake YouTubia: A Wired report found at least 120 YouTube channels cranking out AI-generated celeb drama, like phony talk show fights using still images and robotic voice-overs. One video shows Mark Wahlberg getting roasted on The View. Didn’t happen. This isn’t fake news, it’s full-on delusion theater.
Hackers can stop trains with a $300 device — July 19th, Hour 3
A small, cheap tool lets anyone control train brakes remotely. Tesla’s new robotaxi zone looks … suspicious. Plus, scammers using fake news videos to steal your cash, purple streetlights messing with your eyes, and Florida’s next-gen 911 system.
Unwitting Americans and the election
With the election nearing, foreign entities are spreading fake news online. Here’s how to stay sharp and protect yourself from propaganda.
Careful what you read: There’s a lot of fake news circulating about former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, including a message posted to gaming platform Steam that appears to be phony. What researchers have found are Crooks’ laptop searches in July for President Biden, Trump and the DNC convention. No definitive word yet on his political views or motive.
The iPhone is getting Apple sued
Plus, jaywalkers always get caught in China, barista bots still want tips and India wants to stop fake news online.
Gemini versus ChatGPT, 23andMe hack & PowerPoint holiday wishlists
Plus, Colin from The Markup found Meta’s Pixel tracking students on sites they have to use for school. Yep, kids’ private info sent to Facebook. Also, the top celebs used for fake news — I got the list. Tips to find spy cams and get snow alerts to your phone.
Smartphone creepers, social media hate & what's ahead for Starlink
Plus, old-school TV is fading away — here’s why Gen Z is switching off. Caller Stephen had his data swiped, and I lend a helping hand. I also delve into spotting fake news, picking the best spot for your router, and quieting down those noisy group notifications.
Delete TikTok ASAP, fake news sites, pro YouTube tricks
If TikTok is on your smartphone, you need to remove it now. Here’s why. Plus, mobile ad IDs aren’t anonymous, the crypto crash is far from over and these five signs reveal if hackers are watching you through your security cameras. Also, time travel in Google Maps and search YouTube like a pro with these insider tricks.
Air taxis, free money, link between phones and cancer
The Los Angeles Times said air taxis would soon fill the skies. Is this true, or just fake news? I’ve got the answer. Plus, Apple plans to end passwords forever and UC Berkeley finds a link between phone use and cancer. In this 30-minute podcast, I’ll also tell you how to get free money from class-action lawsuits.
The LA Times fell for it. You shouldn't.
Can you recognize fake news better than the Los Angeles Times? Listen to this one-minute podcast for the wild story that fooled journalists.
Spotting fake news, find any photo, scam calls mistake
We all know what happened at the Oscars, but did Will Smith make a bald joke years ago on “The Arsenio Hall Show”? Kim has a simple trick to save you all that scrolling when you’re looking for a photo among thousands on your phone. And Allie has four tips to slow those annoying — and dangerous — scam calls.
6% is no laughing matter
Did you know most people are bad at spotting fake news? Listen to this one-minute podcast for the surprising reason why.
The biggest whack job post on Facebook that I've ever seen
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There has been no shortage of conspiracy theories being posted on Facebook during the pandemic. It is almost as if the coronavirus is affecting some people’s ability to think clearly.
Putting a Faraday cage over your router to block “harmful” 5G frequencies is just nonsensical. And as we have explained before, not only is this ineffective at stopping the spread of 5G, but it will also make your internet speeds worse!
Twitter gets serious with 5G conspiracy postings
Social media platforms are hotbeds for conspiracy theories, fake news, hate, violence and all manner of despicable content. Now Twitter is putting its proverbial foot down to at least one of these, and it’s high time.