A video supposedly showing Iranian missile strikes on Tel Aviv was circulating on social media and promoted by X’s AI chatbot as legitimate. The video actually showed a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol in Crimea. The Cube investigated and confirmed the misrepresentation with a reverse image search, which revealed the true origin of the video. Other fact-checkers criticized X for promoting fake news, pointing out that the AI chatbot generated the misleading headline and context based on trending posts.
The misleading video was accompanied by captions claiming intense missile strikes causing widespread destruction in Tel Aviv, with one post stating, “The fires of hell are burning.” This false narrative was shared in the wake of Israel’s attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, leading to the spread of the misinformation. The Cube’s investigation revealed that the video had originally been shared in the context of a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships in the Black Sea, not an Iranian strike on Tel Aviv. The use of AI chatbots like Grok to curate news trends on social media platforms can lead to the dissemination of false information.
X’s AI chatbot Grok, which now generates written context for trending topics on the platform, was responsible for promoting the fake headline about the Iranian missile strikes on Tel Aviv. The removal of human editors in favor of AI algorithms has raised concerns about the accuracy and reliability of news content shared on social media. The algorithm noticed the video circulating and devised a few lines of context based on the posts being shared, leading to the false narrative being promoted on X’s main feed. The reliance on artificial intelligence to curate news trends can result in serious consequences, as demonstrated by this incident.
Elon Musk’s takeover of X in 2022 resulted in the removal of human editors who curated news and put trending topics into context. The decision to replace human curation with AI-generated content has proven to be problematic in cases like the misrepresentation of the video showing Ukrainian missile strikes as Iranian attacks on Tel Aviv. X has acknowledged that Grok is a work in progress and can make mistakes, but such errors highlight the risks associated with relying solely on artificial intelligence to curate news. The incident underscores the importance of fact-checking and verifying information before sharing it online.
The Cube’s investigation revealed the true origin of the misleading video, which had been shared in the context of a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian warships in Crimea. The Ukrainian military confirmed the attack, which targeted two Russian warships in the Black Sea, leading to the destruction depicted in the video. Other news outlets around the world reported on the incident accurately, attributing the video to official Ukrainian sources. The spread of misinformation on social media platforms like X highlights the need for vigilance and critical thinking when consuming and sharing news content online. The fake headline generated by X’s AI chatbot serves as a warning about the potential dangers of relying too heavily on artificial intelligence to curate news trends.
