AI Rock Star Images Fooling Fans Online

A bizarre new trend is taking over social media, presenting fans with intimate, private moments of their favorite classic rock legends. Imagine Steven Tyler building a doghouse, or Mick Jagger and Elton John singing at Ozzy Osbourne’s memorial service. Picture Bruce Springsteen serenading healthcare workers or visiting a hospitalized Phil Collins alongside Mick Jagger.

These personal and heartwarming scenes are captivating, but they share one common trait: they are completely fake, generated by artificial intelligence.

The Rise of AI in Music

Artificial intelligence is steadily making its way into the music industry, from creating synthetic bands to generating new songs. Just last month, a mysterious band called Velvet Sundown gained a massive following on streaming services before its creators revealed it was an AI-driven project. In this landscape, the emergence of AI-generated images of rock stars was almost inevitable. However, the sheer absurdity of the photos popping up on Facebook and other platforms is staggering.

Completely fictional events are presented as reality, complete with dramatic, emotional descriptions. Did Phil Collins rescue a missing child at an airport? Did Springsteen buy a diner to feed the homeless? Did Bob Dylan bring Dick Van Dyke an early 100th birthday cake? No, but AI-generated images depicting these events, and more, are spreading rapidly.

Why These Fake Images Go Viral

According to Justin Grome, a social media marketing expert, these posts are effective because they tap into nostalgia. "People want to believe these types of things," he says. "Even if they aren’t real, they’re wholesome... It’s not really meant to enrage people. It’s meant to comfort, which makes it even harder to combat."

Many users, however, see right through the deception. Comments like, "More AI-fabricated rubbish" and "Enough of this AI bullshit" are common. Fans of Phil Collins, who was recently hospitalized for knee surgery, were particularly angered by a fake image showing him in a much more dire condition. On fan message boards, the sentiment was clear: "Get a grip, it’s all fake!"

The Blurry Line Between Hoax and Reality

Despite the absurdity, the images often target older rockers, which adds a layer of believability. Since many of these legends are in their seventies and eighties, images of them falling ill or sharing emotional moments can easily fool fans. A photo of Steven Tyler visiting Willie Nelson in the hospital prompted comments like, "Prayers to Willie and that was nice on Steven going to see him." Similarly, a fake image of Jimmy Page pushing Robert Plant in a wheelchair elicited both skepticism and genuine prayers for his health.

So far, spokespeople for major artists like Springsteen, Dylan, and Collins have not commented on the images. Grome warns that this silence can be problematic. "If they don’t speak up, it kind of validates the image as maybe even true," he explains. "There’s a very, very blurry line when it gets to celebrating something and seeing something that’s fake.”

In the meantime, as you scroll through your feed, you might see a heartwarming photo of Metallica’s Lars Ulrich helping James Hetfield blow out birthday candles. Just remember to view it with a healthy dose of skepticism.