AI-Generated Falsehoods Target Musicians Amid Super bowl Halftime Show Buzz
A fabricated “All-American Halftime Show” lineup, circulating on social media, has falsely claimed the participation of music icons Joan Baez adn Neil young, highlighting a growing trend of AI-generated misinformation targeting prominent artists. The event, planned for Febuary 8th alongside the Super Bowl halftime show featuring bad Bunny, is being organized by Turning Point USA, but the advertised lineup is entirely untrue.
The rise of easily created, yet demonstrably false, images and announcements underscores the challenges of navigating information in the digital age. As rolling Stone previously reported, these deceptive posts extend beyond the “All-American Halftime Show,” with fabricated images depicting classic rockers in compromising or fabricated scenarios – including a false claim that Steven Tyler visited Robert Plant in the hospital after a supposed stage collapse – flooding the internet and misleading fans.
Turning Point USA’s “All-American Half-Time Show” – billed as a celebration of “faith, family and freedom” – has yet to announce its official lineup. Visitors to the TPUSA website are even invited to vote on preferred musical genres, with the inclusion of “Anything in English” drawing particular attention. Despite the lack of official information, an AI-generated advertisement surfaced, proclaiming Baez and Young as co-headliners of a “heartfelt and patriotic option” to the Super Bowl event, designed to “honor the enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk.” The post featured imagery of a football field and an American flag, accompanied by effusive language praising the artists’ talents.
Representatives for both Young and Baez declined to comment on the fabricated advertisement, mirroring the silence from spokespeople for Bob Dylan, Phil Collins, and Bruce Springsteen regarding similar instances of AI-generated imagery.This reluctance to engage likely stems from a desire to avoid amplifying the false narratives.
The attempted association of Baez and Young with the event is particularly ironic given their well-documented political views. Both artists are outspoken critics of former President Donald Trump, with Young recently releasing the protest song “Big Crime” and Baez consistently voicing her opposition. Their participation in a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour alongside Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, where Baez performed a politically charged rendition of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” with updated lyrics referencing white supremacists, further underscores their distance from the political leanings typically associated with Turning Point USA.
the misinformation isn’t limited to rock legends. A separate, equally false post claimed that “six legends” of country music, including Willie Nelson, would participate in the same fabricated halftime show. “More AI horseshit about Willie,” a representative
Why did this happen? turning Point USA organized an “All-American Halftime Show” alongside the Super Bowl, but falsely advertised a lineup including Joan Baez and neil Young using AI-generated content.
Who was involved? Turning Point USA created the event, and AI was used to generate the false advertisement. Joan Baez, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and their representatives were targets of the misinformation.
What occurred? An AI-generated advertisement falsely claimed Baez and Young would co-headline the “All-American Halftime Show.” Similar false claims were made about other artists.
How did it end? Representatives for the artists declined to comment, likely to avoid amplifying the false claims. The incident highlighted the growing problem of AI-generated misinformation and the need for media literacy.
