{
  "id": 5792615,
  "title": "Nirosta Steel Issues Apology for Following AI Accounts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/nirosta-steel-issues-apology-for-following-ai-accounts",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T15:09:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Pitchfork",
    "slug": "pitchfork",
    "url": "https://pitchfork.com/story/nirosta-steel-issues-apology/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Steven Hall, known as Nirosta Steel, has apologized for following suspicious AI-generated accounts on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as Red Note. The musician came under scrutiny after an X account shared screenshots of his \"Following\" list, revealing several accounts featured young Asian boys, some shirtless, which appeared to be AI-generated. Hall deleted his profile after a friend pointed out the toxic content in the accounts he followed. In a statement, Hall explained that he had followed the accounts out of curiosity after his husband mentioned that people on Red Note were getting into his music. He expressed surprise at the discovery of the accounts containing highly toxic content and deleted his profile. Hall acknowledged the concern surrounding the situation but pointed out that ageism and homophobia might also be factors in the discussion. He apologized to fans who were upset by the misunderstanding and emphasized the need for greater caution on social media platforms. To address speculation, Hall clarified his actions and intentions, expressing his intent to learn from the incident and avoid making similar mistakes in the future.",
  "summary": "“I did not realize that a few of the accounts contained highly toxic content, so I deleted my profile.”",
  "key_points": [
    "Nirosta Steel, known as Steven Hall, apologized for following AI-generated accounts on Xiaohongshu.",
    "Hall faced scrutiny after X account shared screenshots of his followed list with suspicious content."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}