AI-generated fake blog post falsely attributed to Simone Biles
A false Facebook post falsely claimed that Olympic gymnast Simone Biles authored a blog post about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death, exploiting their past conflict. The AI-generated misinformation spread on the platform, deceiving some users, though major news outlets confirmed no such blog post existed.
What happened
A false Facebook post claimed that Olympic gymnast Simone Biles wrote a blog post about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death. The posts on Facebook said Biles wrote a dramatic blog post about Kirk after he died, with language describing how "the blog arrived like a lightning strike, sending shockwaves through both the sports and political landscapes."
The AI-generated story exploited a past conflict between Biles and Kirk and spread rapidly on the platform. No such blog post existed; Biles never authored any content about Kirk.
Reported impact
Some Facebook users believed the false claim, demonstrating the effectiveness of the AI-generated misinformation in deceiving audiences. The incident highlighted Facebook's ongoing struggles with misinformation and AI-generated content on its platform.
Index analysis
Trusted sources including Reuters and BBC confirmed there was no record of Biles writing or posting a blog about Kirk, according to reports.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.