It's no secret that AI has taken over the internet, but now it's coming for country music. First, we have Breaking Rust, an AI-generated country artist who reached the top of the digital country songs chart. Then there's the internet, littered with scammers pretending to be celebrities for a cash grab. Recently, Cody Johnson, who has been impersonated by a series of AI-generated images, got on his soapbox. The singer wanted to touch on the importance of distinguishing between "truth and fiction" in today's world.
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On Wednesday, Johnson and his team shared this message on some of his social media accounts.
"With today's internet and "AI" it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the truth and fiction. Fake images, news articles, show announcements and so much more are falsely being shared that are completely inaccurate. Our team is working tirelessly to try and remove the problems. However, at this rate it's hard to control the sheer volume of misinformation that is being spread."
Things like this lead to upsetting, enraging and even letting down our faithful fans that have supported us throughout the years. If you see something with Cody's name, logo or face that doesn't come straight from his verified accounts... please don't fall for it. We love all of you and appreciate the love and support you've given us through the years.
Long live country music.
- Team Cody"
Unfourtunately, Johnson isn't the first celebrity, and probably won't be the last to have a negative experience with AI.
Disabled Texas Man Is Tricked By Cody Johnson AI Impersonators
Although it's unclear what sparked Cody's message, just check out this recent situation involving a fan from Texas. It's a perfect example of the "misinformation" that Johnson's team speaks about.
Just recently, a man from Central Texas was tricked into believing that AI-generated images on the internet were actually Cody. The man, whose name is Anthony McAlfney, has an intellectual and developmental disability. Apparently, he had conversations with people on the internet that he believed were Johnson and Chris Young, two of his favorite country singers.
According to American Songwriter, Anthony was asked by the scammers for his "age, Social Security information, disability information, and bank information." Luckily, McAlfney's family learned of the situation shortly after it went down. However, the situation continues to be a strong reminder not to trust everything you see on the internet.
