YouTube creators are using fake Dolly Parton images
Days after Dolly Parton's death, AI images of the country music icon are proliferating the internet
Country music legend Dolly Parton passed away this week, yet fabricated images of the icon in a hospital setting are spreading across the internet. Social media platforms are rife with such content, despite the lack of any genuine photographs of Parton hospitalized or dressed in a patient gown. On August 27, Mashable noted at least three YouTube videos bearing false, most likely AI-generated images of Parton in a hospital setting, as seen in their thumbnails.
One thumbnail depicts Parton wearing a gown and surrounded by tubes, against a city background that seems to have been amalgamated with images of news anchors. Another thumbnail surfaced in the "YouTube featured" section, featuring singer Jelly Roll with a superimposed image of Parton floating in the clouds. According to the description in YouTube’s app, the "featured" section promotes YouTube features and programs, often selecting content based on users' viewing habits or manual choices.
Below these videos is the "hyped" label, indicating that viewers clicked the Hype button in the app to increase the video's discoverability. As of the afternoon on August 27, all four videos remained live, with three displaying a "Made with AI" label when opened, along with a disclaimer stating, "Sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated." Notably, the video about Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, did not carry this label.
A YouTube spokesperson confirmed to Mashable that they are reviewing and will take action against any content or channels found to be in breach of their policies. Mashable has also reached out to the available YouTube channels.
Written by urgent.news from Mashable's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
