YouTube Takes Down AI-Generated 3I/ATLAS Channel To Fight Misinformation

3I/ATLAS has been a topic of discussion in the space community over the last couple of weeks. People are taking advantage of the situation for personal gain.

One of the experts at the forefront of 3I/ATLAS news is Israeli-American physicist Avi Loeb. Just recently, he took action against an AI-generated YouTube channel that claimed to be affiliated with him.

Avi Loeb Strikes Back At Fake 3I/ATLAS Channel

Speaking on the Will Cain Country podcast, Loeb criticised the current trend of simulation-based thinking and how it promotes a disconnect from real-world responsibility. He adds that AI tools can make it easy to create fake content, citing a channel with his name as an example.

The channel in question was allegedly spreading misinformation via YouTube. Fans were quick to reach out to Loeb, after which he contacted the media platform directly.

YouTube responded by quickly taking down the channel, citing violations of policies against impersonation and synthetic manipulation intended to mislead viewers.

'YouTube took down this fake misinformation channel of videos about the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS,' he stated, acknowledging the platform's swift action following an internal review. The channel posted AI-generated videos of Loeb talking about 3I/ATLAS updates, many of which were false.

Writing to his followers on Medium, he said It was obvious to my fans that the videos were fake because the clock in the background was frozen on a specific time and because two weeks ago — I injured my face on a trip to a Danny Jones podcast interview in Florida — whereas the fake videos did not show any sign of the injury.'

To make matters worse, one of the videos was used in a report about Loeb's research on 3I/ATLAS.

3I/ATLAS Updates Intensify As Objects Draw Near

Followers of Loeb are relieved to hear that YouTube took action immediately. They note that as the interstellar object draws closer to Earth, there could be a surge of misinformation online, and some of it could use Loeb's reputation as leverage to gain more views.

As per CNN, 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, when it will be about 270 million km away on the Sun's opposite side. NASA notes that the comet isn't a threat to Earth. However, it remains a target of interest and scientific scrutiny from those who love space developments.

People are eagerly awaiting the photos from the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice). The mission captured images of the comet as early as July this year.

However, the images from the mission will only reach Earth around February next year. Partial image downloads released last November show a glowing coma and two distinct tails: a plasma tail of ionised gas and a faint dust tail.

People are advised to exercise greater caution when reading or sharing news about 3I/ATLAS. There's an expected surge of information coming in as the comet becomes easier to inspect while moving closer to us, so it's best to verify news before taking it at face value.