The AI-generated prank mocked tech billionaires, left the internet laughing.
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00:00Hi, this is Elon Musk. You know they say money can't buy happiness. I guess that's true. God knows I've tried.
00:06That's not Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
00:09On 11th April of 2025, several pedestrian crosswalks in North California were hacked to play fake audio messages impersonating tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
00:18Instead of the usual walk or wait instructions.
00:21But it can buy a Cybertruck and that's pretty sick, right? Right?
00:25Why come so loud?
00:27The spoofed AI generated messages soon left the internet in splits.
00:31Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck.
00:34You know, it's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience.
00:42The prank occurred in areas including Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City close to Tesla and Meta campuses.
00:48And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya.
00:54Musk and Zuckerberg aren't new to criticism.
00:57But the growing ties to Trump donating to his inauguration and attending his swearing-in have sparked renewed backlash.
01:03Musk, now heading Trump's DOG department, is facing global takedown protests with Cybertruck vandalism on the rise.
01:10Meanwhile, Meta donated $1 million to Trump's fund last year and scrapped its fact-checking system in favor of community notes.
01:16As of now, the audio features of affected crossings have been disabled and switch-root timer systems.
01:22Investigation is ongoing to identify the prankster.