Roger Love, vocal coach to Bradley Cooper and other big stars, turns me into a songbird. Yes, I sing in this show. Then, the U.S. leases China’s TikTok algorithm, sketchy routers, and Facebook Dating’s AI wingman. Plus, why some people turn to the wild world of free sperm donors on social media.
Sora 2: The AI video tool that’s already out of control
Hawking - @DrClownPhD on X, JFK - @dailysopranosofficial on TikTok, Mr. Rogers and Tupac - @itsthegthang and @euphanasiamusic on Instagram
I have to tell you about Sora 2. It’s OpenAI’s new video-generating app that’s both mind-blowing and terrifying.
It’s the first tool from any AI company that lets you give it a prompt, and in literally seconds, you get a full-blown, AI-generated video up to a minute long. The results aren’t perfect, but they’re close. Like Hollywood close.
The lighting, camera motion, facial expressions, it’s all shockingly realistic.
Want to see a golden retriever surfing through Times Square in slow motion? Done. A drone shot of a city being built out of clouds? Easy.
🎭 Dead celebrities
People are using Sora 2 to generate fake videos of dead celebrities doing things they never did.
- JFK is deepfaked into a WWE superstar.
👉 Watch it on TikTok - Tupac appears with Mr. Rogers talking about respect.
👉 Watch it on Instagram - Stephen Hawking is attacked in the UFC. Warning: I knew this was all AI, but it was still upsetting to watch. Weird, right?
👉 Watch it on X - Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is shoplifting GPUs from Target.
👉 Watch it on Instagram
I’m sure you know that under U.S. law, “defaming” someone only applies to living people, not the dead. That means families and estates have no legal recourse when someone uses AI to humiliate or misrepresent their loved one. It’s a free-for-all right now, and no one’s accountable.
Even creepier?
Sora is also being used for stalking and impersonation. All it takes is a photo, and you can make a video of anyone doing anything. Fake crimes, revenge content, political lies, it’s all possible. I have a warning about that and a fix for you in tomorrow’s newsletter.
😱 Zero guardrails
OpenAI says you need permission to use a person’s face or voice. Yea, like that’s going to stop someone.
Attention, scroll at ease: Remember that old-school Uncle Sam “I Want You” Army poster? The 2025 version is the Army on TikTok. That’s right, they’ve tapped eight soldiers with big followings to show real life in uniform, romanticizing the gym fails, the 4 a.m. wake-ups, even the “mandatory fun days.” Their posts hit 40 million views, but the program’s on pause for an ethics review.
📱 I want you: I’m posting tech tips, behind-the-scenes moments and real talk about your digital life over on TikTok. Come hang out, scroll smarter and tap that follow button, no dancing required (unless it’s for science). 👉 tiktok.com/@kimkomando
⚡ Deal done at last: So it’s official. The U.S. and China finally worked out a $14 billion deal to hand TikTok’s American side to new owners. Trump and Xi are expected to “seal the deal” Thursday. Americans will hold most of it and that precious algorithm, and ByteDance keeps a tiny slice. Phew, it’s time for you to follow me on TikTok. Click to do that now.
🔢 The great “six seven” uprising: Middle schoolers are possessed by a two-number demon. Say “six seven,” and the room explodes (paywall link). Kids shriek, wave their hands, total meltdown. It started as a TikTok meme tied to rapper Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (6 7),” and now teachers avoid even saying the numbers, though they must be happy it’s not 69.
🎥 AI’s next film class: Google’s new Veo 3.1 can generate eerily realistic videos complete with audio, edits and, this is a big one, TikTok-ready vertical frames. It’s rolling out across Gemini and YouTube Shorts, which means spotting what’s real online just got harder. If you blink, you might miss the line between “content” and “AI slop.”
🌷 Full circle moment: How about good news? A shy kindergartner promised her teacher she’d say hello again after high school. Twenty years, two degrees and two kids later, Calyssa found that teacher, thanks to a single TikTok photo. Turns out, both were student moms from UC Davis and had the same grit. Sometimes the internet actually delivers a happy ending.
📞 Party like it’s 1999: In Seattle, parents are reviving the landline, thanks to “Tin Can,” a Wi-Fi-enabled corded phone (paywall link) that lets kids call friends without screens or TikTok. It’s spreading fast: tens of thousands sold, and they’re now back-ordered. Kids are actually thrilled to call friends. Next thing you know, they’ll be making mix tapes.
🎓 Creepin’ 101: Students at the University of San Francisco got a safety alert after reports of a man using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to film women without consent. Who could have predicted that happening? He’s allegedly posting the clips on TikTok. Idiot.
DIY movie star: Picture this. Tell OpenAI’s new Sora app, “Make me doing a sick skateboard trick,” and boom, it spits out a movie-quality clip (paywall link), up to 20 seconds. There’s even a “Cameo” mode that drops your likeness into AI worlds. The first viral hit? A fake Sam Altman stealing graphics cards. The app works like TikTok or YouTube Shorts: You can follow, like and comment on other AI slop.
Kentucky kids rediscover paper: Jefferson County Public Schools just saw a 67% spike in book library checkouts after Kentucky banned phones in class. At Ballard High, students borrowed nearly 900 books in August, up from 533 last year. Librarians say whodunits are a hot commodity. Apparently, when TikTok disappears, Agatha Christie eats.
CapCut’s hidden side: Think CapCut’s just a video-editing app? Nope, it’s TikTok’s little cousin without seat belts. No parental controls, weak age checks, and kids can run into strangers or even see posts with phone numbers. Docs say it fuels oversharing and self-esteem hits. If your kid’s using it, check their settings, peek at their uploads and talk about what not to share.
Big TikTok news: Trump is expected to sign an executive order today that officially puts TikTok’s “sale” in motion. Word is that ByteDance will drop its control and the U.S. will lease TikTok’s algorithm so it stays “American enough” to keep running.
⚡ Apple Pay’s “free money”: You have to see this TikTok of a woman crying because she thought Apple Pay was Apple’s way of giving her money. She thought every tap, every time she accepted cookies and every app she downloaded earned her cash. I bet she thinks American Express is a train. Watch the short video here. Real or not? Let me know when you rate the newsletter at the end.
TikTok gets a chaperone: Instead of a ban, TikTok’s getting a weird fix. ByteDance will lease its algorithm (paywall link) to a U.S.-controlled company. Oracle handles the “don’t spy on Americans” part, and the app on your phone? Works the same. No re-download needed, no sudden disappearance.
🫣 Wait, is TikTok … different? The U.S. takeover deal’s in motion, and with it? A few quiet tweaks. Your “For You” might feel a little … less global. New terms, new vibes and maybe fewer dance trends from Berlin. It’s not broken, it’s just moving in with Oracle.
The airlines are selling you out
Forget peanuts. Airlines are quietly handing over five billion passenger records to the feds. Then, I talk to Brian, a grieving uncle who wants to name his pond on Google Maps after his niece but isn’t sure how to get started. Plus, the U.S. keeps TikTok alive, and one woman keeps getting tickets for cars she’s never even seen.
The cloud is actually in the ocean
The world’s internet runs on wet spaghetti under the sea, and when those cables snap, we all feel it. George, your AI host of The Current, explains how fragile our digital lifeline really is, then covers poisoned calendar invites, an AI lawsuit, TikTok’s survival deal, Roku’s bot-made ads, and Amazon’s big hardware reveal.
💊 Beware the Benadryl: A South Carolina teen landed in the ER after trying TikTok’s “Benadryl Challenge,” sending her heart racing to nearly 200 bpm while hallucinating. She’s OK, but high doses can cause seizures, coma, even death. Her parents are warning other families.