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Can we believe anything we see now?

(56 Posts)
Daddima Sat 10-May-25 20:40:07

I have just seen two posts on TikTok which were AI generated. The first was extremely believable, of Donald Trump saying that he knew the new pope would be an American, as he had inside information, and when he met him it would not be an amicable meeting, and he would show him what a strong negotiator is. It was labelled as AI generated, but many people commented on it.
The second was not so realistic, of Prince William talking about Meghan Markle constantly flirting with him, and being disrespectful to Catherine. Once again, so many people commenting on it, even after others saying it was fake.
Are we soon going to have absolutely no news sources we can believe?

Jane43 Sun 18-May-25 12:48:19

Jaxjacky

If you watch The Capture - on the BBC iplayer - it illustrates how deepfake can falsely portray people in power.

The two series of The Capture are very thought provoking and real eye openers.

Elegran Fri 16-May-25 10:01:21

The one question I would ask people who are concerned about getting ads for things that have only been mentioned in person-to-person conversations intheir own houses is, "Do you have Alexa, or Siri, or any of the other voice-activated devices and kitchen equipment?"

It could be your kettle or washing machine - it doesn't have to be a phone. Or it could be a store for which you have a loyalty card, sending mass marketing emails to all its loyalty customers.

petra Fri 16-May-25 08:57:35

Daddima
Why do you think you get offers from shops who you have a store card with: because they know you buy that product.
The above is a very basic explanation.

Is someone listening.
We have done a few experiments on this issue but yesterday we weren’t experimenting
Our daughter phoned to say her Snuggle Swivel chair had arrived.
A friend was with us at the time and as she wants one a short conversation was had.
Now I have never never searched for the above.
Lo and behold this morning I get an advert.

The said chair.

Daddima Wed 14-May-25 06:24:08

petra

Allira
FB deny that they sell on DATA. But they are paid by advertisers who have tracked you either through Apps you have on your devices or, you allow cookies to be used when asked.
If you have store cards that info is sold on.
That’s why I have non of the above.

So, does that mean you don’t get any advertising at all? I’d have thought you’d still have got ads, maybe just for random things.
I also don’t understand what use your store card information is to anybody, except advertisers, so again, doesn’t it mean you just get random ads?

petra Tue 13-May-25 22:30:45

Allira
FB deny that they sell on DATA. But they are paid by advertisers who have tracked you either through Apps you have on your devices or, you allow cookies to be used when asked.
If you have store cards that info is sold on.
That’s why I have non of the above.

crazyH Tue 13-May-25 22:14:13

I just watched an AI image of a murdered man , appearing in Court, during the sentencing phase of the accused murderer. The victim’s sister decided to present it to the jury - it was eerie - only in America !!!!

fancythat Tue 13-May-25 21:46:00

sodapop

Sadly the BBC is no longer a reputable news sourcec due to its biased reporting.

Is it not?

I thought it had improved!
But willing to be convinced otherwise.

To which way is it biased?

MaggsMcG Tue 13-May-25 20:10:55

I take everything I see on any Social Media with a pinch of salt now as I find it very annoying this AI invasion. How are we supposed to know what is real anymore. I bet its even on TV even the News. I do know a lot of the Trump stuff is AI generated. The good and the bad.

Allira Tue 13-May-25 14:31:47

JaneJudge

Allira

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan shock
I am not interested!

They are all fake too. I posted up thread.

Thanks JaneJudge

JaneJudge Tue 13-May-25 14:30:29

Allira

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan shock
I am not interested!

They are all fake too. I posted up thread.

Allira Tue 13-May-25 14:16:43

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan shock
I am not interested!

Allira Tue 13-May-25 14:14:47

M0nica

Yes, occasionally I have a day when i get half a dozen, but no more. Partly I think because my interests don't trigger anything interesting and popular - Local, Listed buildings and archaeology.

I have suddenly remembered, I am on Pinterest, but not for much longer, it is driving me nuts. Click on site once for an interesting story and I am inundated. Currently old houses for sale anywhere in the UK because we have been house hunting for an old house in one specific location. That has now stopped - we have found one and are buying it, but still the emails full of old houses come in. I delete them each time without following anything up, but still they come.

Some are interesting but it's rather unnerving if you do a search elsewhere that something related will pop up on FB.

I cannot get rid of those reels and videos, mostly about cats, people's weddings and the Royal Family. They appear every day, there seems to be no way to stop them.

M0nica Tue 13-May-25 11:56:33

Yes, occasionally I have a day when i get half a dozen, but no more. Partly I think because my interests don't trigger anything interesting and popular - Local, Listed buildings and archaeology.

I have suddenly remembered, I am on Pinterest, but not for much longer, it is driving me nuts. Click on site once for an interesting story and I am inundated. Currently old houses for sale anywhere in the UK because we have been house hunting for an old house in one specific location. That has now stopped - we have found one and are buying it, but still the emails full of old houses come in. I delete them each time without following anything up, but still they come.

Allira Tue 13-May-25 10:37:54

M0nica

My Facebook page is private, I only get posts from family and friends I have allowed to contribute and groups I have signed up for, mainly my local community and special interests that do not post political messages.

Even then there is sometimes so much on it they all do not get read.

Mine too but every so often I get flooded with advertising posts from firms or companies I do not know.

M0nica Tue 13-May-25 08:34:20

My Facebook page is private, I only get posts from family and friends I have allowed to contribute and groups I have signed up for, mainly my local community and special interests that do not post political messages.

Even then there is sometimes so much on it they all do not get read.

David49 Tue 13-May-25 06:47:30

I don’t use Facebook BUT my wife does and the comments do influence her, they are not AI bots they are from people she knows.
That’s a problem for me because I’m a centrist and its moving her opinions to the right, but hey ho it makes a change from countering the left wing opinions on this forum.

Kayteetay1 Tue 13-May-25 06:11:49

Completely agree.

Elegran Mon 12-May-25 18:37:51

The comments on Facebook have a lot of all-purpose insults, too, which look as though they come from a standard list ready to be selected, eyes closed, with a pin, and clicked to reply to any post which doesn't agree with MAGA doctrines.

Rather like those greetings cards you can buy, which have a series of boxes to tick according to the recipient and the occasion, "Congratulations on your engagement/wedding/triplets/divorce/operation/conviction/parole/funeral. Here's hoping you will be happy/careful/miserable/sterilised/jailed/re-arrested/hell-bound."

JaneJudge Mon 12-May-25 15:17:23

I only use Facebook but it is full of fake news/AI generated stuff now. Alison Hammond was pregnant today, she’s 50 fgs and although I know it’s not impossible AI seem to be generating lots of pregnancy stories for women who are most probably menopausal.

Mmc123uk Mon 12-May-25 15:12:36

Sadly I think most of the news outlets have now ..for me it's more about the lack of coverage of important international affairs as well as the very right wing bias & blatant unchallenged lying (thinking particularly of Tr ump & Farage) . Where has impartiality, neutral & critical thinking gone? Sad times ! ?

NanaMaryNH Mon 12-May-25 14:36:23

As an American in a Trumpian dystopia, I predict this is going to get worse because I've seen so many people choose to believe lies (yes, they know they're lies) because it reinforces their world view. No matter how stupid or evil the lies are. Deporting was fine when it was criminals, but now it's fine if someone writes an op-ed. That image is distasteful, but it's OK because, in your examples, it Megan or the Pope (both vilified, esp in the UK). * * What kind of world are we leaving our grandkids???

HS62 Mon 12-May-25 14:31:14

I now exactly what you mean. I'm totally confused abt what's true/not. Really struggling to sift through all thecrap and bs. If we could opt out of receiving AI on phone it would be really helpful. X

Grantanow Mon 12-May-25 14:19:50

keepingquiet

If it smells fishy it's probably a fish...

And the fish rots from the head.

valdavi Sun 11-May-25 23:06:08

Sometimes the bots' posts (the money one yesterday for eg) seem a lot more sensible & believable than the occassional really off-the-wall post that turns up from a demonstrably human poster (maybe even some of mine!) shock

Elegran Sun 11-May-25 21:16:52

Daddima "There was a theory called the Paperclip Maximiser where a bot was charged with making as many paperclips as possible, and the theory said that it would make every single thing, including humans, into paperclips, or things which could make paperclips!"

Because that was its role - a paperclip maker. Bots whose programmed role is posting those long fake stories about toxic partners, family members, friends or relations, or those extreme opinions about current affairs, on social media sites will post them on any social media site that it can get into. I notice they often appear on GN in waves, as though one has passed on a link to others. Maybe we are a homework exercise for apprentice AI data-and-style gatherers?