Family Feud host Steve Harvey was the victim of a bogus death pronouncement Wednesday which was automatically generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and spread virally to a waking world.
A story claiming the comedy veteran had died late on Tuesday led to many social media posters mourning the 67-year-old’s passing and offering condolences to his family and loved ones.
Thankfully nothing of the sort had happened to the man who also fronts the ABC daytime courtroom series Judge Steve Harvey.
The Wrap reports an article titled “Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering The Legacy Of A Comedy Legend” was posted to “Trend Cast News” and picked up by Newsbreak, a popular media roundup site that has been caught sharing “AI fiction” in the past.
The fake news — which included a future publishing date of Dec. 19, 2024 — was still live on Newsbreak’s site on Wednesday morning.
The “news” of Harvey’s death led to Harvey being the second-most popular Google search and drove reactions from many on social media, the Wrap report makes clear.
While Harvey has not publicly commented on the death hoax, he has been regularly posting on his social media accounts in the past two days.
If nothing else that proves reports of his death are greatly exaggerated – if not entirely and demonstrably false.
