Ethan Carter
Dolly Parton, the iconic country music star, has passed away this week, leading to the circulation of manipulated images depicting her in a hospital setting online.
Despite the absence of any legitimate photographs showing Dolly Parton in a hospital or dressed in a patient gown, social media users may be misled by the ongoing fake narratives.
On August 27, Mashable identified at least three YouTube videos featuring misleading, likely AI-generated images of Parton purportedly in a hospital. These videos appeared in sections of the YouTube app labeled “Videos on the rise” and “YouTube featured”:
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube
One of the thumbnails depicts Parton in a hospital gown surrounded by medical tubes, with a perplexing city backdrop, suggesting it was created using mixed images of Parton and various news anchors:
Mashable Light Speed
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube
Another thumbnail that appeared in the “YouTube featured” category showcased singer Jelly Roll gazing thoughtfully at a superimposed image of Parton in the clouds:
Credit: YouTube
YouTube’s app description indicates that the featured section “promotes YouTube features and programs, often utilizing content selected based on user viewing habits or manual choices.” Below these videos, the “hyped” label appears, indicating that viewers have boosted the video’s visibility by tapping the Hype button in the app.
As of August 27 afternoon, all four videos remained active. Three of them displayed a “Made with AI” label upon being opened, accompanied by a disclaimer in the description stating, “Sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated.”
In contrast, the video featuring Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, did not carry this label.
A YouTube representative informed Mashable, “We are reviewing and will take action against any content or channels found to be in violation of our policies.” Mashable has also sought responses from the channels involved.
Daniel Mercer
David Bridges
