A viral video claiming a Tesla Cybertruck was remotely deactivated on the highway is likely fake, based on inconsistencies in the supposed legal letter and warning message, suggesting it was manipulated or staged.
President Trump threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal over a story about a 'bawdy' letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein, claiming the letter was fake and that the WSJ refused to verify it. Trump and his team assert the story is false, and Trump has directed the release of Epstein case grand jury testimony. The story has sparked skepticism among MAGA influencers.
Archaeologists have discovered that a 280-million-year-old reptile fossil, known as Tridentinosaurus antiquus, is actually a fake, with its well-preserved soft tissue turning out to be black paint. The lizard-like fossil, found in the Italian Alps in 1931, was believed to be an important discovery shedding light on reptile evolution. However, analysis using UV photography and microscopic examination revealed the presence of a coating material and the texture and composition of the material did not match that of genuine soft tissue fossils. Despite this setback, the researchers noted that the bones of the hindlimbs and femurs appear to be genuine but poorly preserved.
Google's tech demo of its new AI model, Gemini, has been accused of being "basically entirely fake" by critics. The video, which garnered millions of views, showed seamless interaction with a human operator, but it was later clarified that the interactions were text-based and took longer than represented. Google employees have reportedly taken issue with the video, stating that it paints an unrealistic picture of Gemini. Despite the controversy, Google claims that Gemini exceeds leading AI models in various benchmarks.
Taiwanese fitness influencer, MianBaobao, admitted to faking her three-year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her story began to unravel after her ex-husband posted details to social media that contradicted her cancer fight. MianBaobao constructed the fabricated story to boost her online profile. She apologized to her over 11,000 Instagram followers for deceiving everyone with the false cancer diagnosis and offered to compensate the companies she had deals with. MianBaobao isn't the only social media personality that has gotten caught faking a cancer fight.
Influencer Loren Gray has called out many influencers for faking their attendance at Coachella by posting photos and videos without actually having a wristband. Gray explained that many influencers go to the desert, get an Airbnb, and get their outfits, hair, and makeup done to create the illusion of attending the festival. This is not a new phenomenon, as a 2021 HBO documentary called Fake Famous exposed how wannabe influencers can use simple tricks to manufacture their fame, like buying followers and fabricating a luxurious lifestyle.