Is AI the Real Threat? Deepfakes Target Top Physicists to Admit 3I/ATLAS Is An Alien Ship Hidden by NASA

Recently, social media has been flooded with videos that appear to show world-renowned physicist Michio Kaku and Brian Cox claiming that a comet 3I/ATLAS is not a natural object, but an alien spacecraft deliberately hidden by NASA.

The clips, convincing enough to fool thousands of viewers, feature Kaku and Conx confirming that the interstellar object is a part of a government cover-up.

However, the truth behind these viral videos reveals a growing concern that has nothing to do with extraterrestrials and everything to do with the dangers of artificial intelligence.

Physicists Targeted by Deepfake Campaign

The alarming videos are not authentic. Instead, they are AI-generated deepfakes or fabricated clips that replicate Kaku's face and voice.

The physicist himself has publicly denounced the videos, warning that they spread 'crazy false claims' in his name.

'There has been a sudden rise of fraudulent unauthorized deep fake AI videos, impersonating me, misleading the public with crazy false claims that are not my own', Kaku wrote on X. He added a call to YouTube and TikTok to 'police' these videos better and respond to takedown requests faster.

In the deepfake video of Kaku, he confirmed that 3I/ATLAS was a visitor from another galaxy and that NASA had 'classified its true origin'. Some even went further, alleging that the object was transmitting energy to Mars and the Sun.

The original interview Kaku gave contained no mention of aliens or government secrecy.

British physicist Brian Cox has also reported encountering deepfakes of himself spreading false claims about alien spacecraft. In response, Cox called out YouTube for taking too long to remove misleading videos.

Both scientists have called for stricter action for major social media companies and AI developers. Kaku has urged platforms like YouTube and TikTok to improve their monitoring systems and prevent impersonation before such videos go viral.

TikTok has since confirmed that it is removing the videos for violating its misinformation policies, while YouTube has reportedly taken down several offending clips.

The Truth About 3I/ATLAS That We Know So Far

3I/ATLAS is a real comet observed by NASA and was identified as the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system.

However, the misinformation stems partly from a controversial research paper that speculated about the possibility of the object being artificial. Despite the scientific consensus that the object behaves like a comet, releasing water vapour at high speeds, conspiracy theorists have seized upon the speculation to support claims of extraterrestrial activity.

Astronomers continue to 3I/ATLAS after reaching perihelion, the point closest to the Sun.

Theoretical physicist Avi Loeb, who has long entertained the alien spacecraft hypothesis, says scientists are watching for any unexplained acceleration that might indicate propulsion. He suggests its precise orbit and unusual activity could point to unknown physical forces or even artificial propulsion. The object's alignment with the solar system's plane and its high CO₂ levels have made it stand out from typical comets.

However, NASA and other scientists maintain that it is simply a carbon dioxide-rich comet. All factual observations will be out in due time, once it become visible to observers on the first days of November.