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Diddy drama goes viral! AI-powered YouTube videos fuel misinformation boom
Dozens of anonymous channels are flooding the platform with AI-generated videos centered on explosive, fabricated claims about Sean "Diddy" Combs and other celebrities, turning falsehood into clicks and clicks into cash.
The videos aren’t just misleading, they’re strategically engineered for virality.
In the shadowy corners of YouTube, a new kind of content creator is thriving, one who never shows their face, never picks up a camera and may never tell the truth. Dozens of anonymous channels are flooding the platform with AI-generated videos centered on explosive, fabricated claims about Sean "Diddy" Combs and other celebrities, turning falsehood into clicks and clicks into cash.
The Guardian reported that 26 such channels have racked up nearly 70 million views in the past year by churning out nearly 900 videos filled with AI-generated thumbnails, synthetic voiceovers and sensational scripts. Many of these clips falsely claim that major celebrities like Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio were abused, coerced or have testified against Diddy. However, none of these events occurred.
The videos aren’t just misleading, they’re strategically engineered for virality. Eye-catching thumbnails falsely depict celebrities in courtrooms or suggest sexual misconduct, often accompanied by fabricated quotes designed to outrage and entice viewers.
But this isn’t just about Diddy. It’s about a new formula that blends YouTube’s monetization loopholes, generative AI tools and the low overhead of “faceless” automation.
Many of these Diddy-focused channels have bizarre backstories. One used to post embroidery tutorials in Portuguese. Another dished out wellness advice in Vietnamese. A third covered African politics. Then suddenly, they all pivoted to Diddy.
Their success has led to real-world consequences. YouTube has terminated several channels like Secret Story and Hero Story after inquiries revealed their role in spreading AI-fueled misinformation. Others, like Celeb Buzz, have been demonetized, but not before pulling in over a million views in just three weeks.
Experts have started calling this genre of click-churned junk “AI slop”, rapidly produced, fact-free videos optimized for maximum engagement with minimal oversight. And Diddy just happens to be the moment’s most lucrative subject. All of this can be done without a face, a camera, or even a coherent grasp of reality.
As generative AI makes it easier and cheaper to manufacture controversy at scale, the risk extends far beyond one celebrity or one trend. With political figures, activists and everyday people increasingly dragged into AI-generated fictions, platforms like YouTube face urgent pressure to adapt or become conduits for synthetic scandals and digital defamation.
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