We live in an era where AI is an unstoppable force. From ChatGPT and Gemini to Claude, DeepSeek, and Grok, these tools have integrated into our lives at lightning speed. But while we celebrate their productivity, we must admit: they are far from perfect.
Behind the sleek interfaces and helpful chatbots lies a chaotic world of AI-generated disasters. From hilarious "hallucinations" to life-threatening crimes, AI has been used—and abused—in ways that range from the tragic to the downright absurd. Let’s revisit some of the most notorious "AI infamies."
1. The Brad Pitt "Cancer" Scam: A Modern Romance Tragedy
Scammers have always been among us, but AI has given them a digital face-lift. Gone are the days of clunky pop-ups claiming you won the lottery. Today, scammers use AI to build emotional fortresses.
Consider the heartbreaking case of a 53-year-old French woman who fell victim to a sophisticated Romance Scam. Using AI-generated images, scammers convinced her that she was chatting with Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt. They sent her fabricated photos showing a frail, "cancer-stricken" Pitt in a hospital bed to gain her sympathy. Coupled with AI-generated voice notes and sweet messages over 18 months, the victim was manipulated into transferring over €830,000. It’s a stark reminder that in the age of AI, seeing is no longer believing.
2. Grok and the "Bikini Gate": When Creativity Becomes Harassment
Ever since Elon Musk’s Grok AI was released on X (formerly Twitter), it has been praised—and criticized—for its lack of guardrails. This "freedom" led to a major scandal involving Japanese manga artist Yoichiro Tanabe.
Tanabe sparked outrage when he used Grok to transform a photo of Riko Kudo, an idol from the group STU48, from her casual outfit into a bikini. This AI-assisted sexual harassment caused a social media firestorm. Kudo and her bandmates publicly expressed their disgust, highlighting a growing concern: when famous public figures use AI to violate the dignity of others, the "fun" tech becomes a tool for digital assault.
3. The Graphic Designer and the Dark Web: A Landmark Prison Sentence
The year 2024 was a turning point for AI regulation. While high-quality image generation was just becoming mainstream, a 27-year-old graphic design student from the UK used it for the unthinkable.
He was sentenced to 18 years in prison for using AI to generate and sell illicit CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) to pedophilia rings. Facing 16 counts of criminal activity and a permanent spot on the sex offender registry, his case became one of the first worldwide to prosecute AI-generated material with the same severity as real-world crimes. It sent a loud message to the world: The source may be artificial, but the consequences are very real.
4. Terminator vs. The Telegram Drug Lord: AI’s Criminal Evolution
In sci-fi movies like Terminator, we feared AI would take over the world by 2029. In reality, AI in 2025 is busy becoming a drug dealer.
In a bizarre case in Thailand, two Russian nationals were arrested for running an AI-powered drug network. They plastered QR codes on utility poles across Bangkok, leading users to an AI Telegram Chatbot. Customers could order drugs and pay via Cryptocurrency to evade financial tracking. However, in a poetic twist of fate, Thai police "fought fire with fire," using advanced AI tracking tools to trace their digital footprint and bring the operation down. It turns out that while AI can help you sell drugs, it can also help the police catch you.
- The "Dead Internet Theory," which states that in the future, all internet content (both good and bad) will be created by AI to the point where we can no longer distinguish between reality and fiction, is a misconception.
- It's crucial to differentiate between occasional AI errors (hallucination) and, in these cases, "malic use" (intentional misuse by humans). This reflects that the problem isn't with the code, but with the "users."
- It highlights how regulations often lag behind technology by one or two steps. The case of the Japanese cartoonist reflects the lack of strong laws protecting "digital dignity."
- The best way to protect oneself is through "critical thinking" and verifying sources (verify before trust), because today's AI can almost perfectly mimic the voices and gestures of loved ones.
User X discovered Grok using AI to create child pornography images.
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