AI-generated false death alert for Steve Harvey spreads via NewsBreak
An AI-generated article falsely announcing Steve Harvey's death was posted to a content section of NewsBreak and distributed via push notifications, causing distress among fans and prompting complaints before being removed.
What happened
An article titled 'Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering The Legacy Of A Comedy Legend' was posted to the 'Trend Cast News' section of an AI-generated content website, picked up by NewsBreak, and distributed through the outlet's app around December 18-19, 2024.
Dozens of users reported receiving push notifications from the NewsBreak app alerting them to the false article claiming Harvey had died.
Reported impact
Fans reported being unnecessarily traumatized by the false alert. Users on social media expressed confusion and distress, with some describing the experience as 'weird' and others stating their relatives called asking about the death rumor.
Comment sections under the article filled with angry reactions, with users calling for the article to be removed and expressing concern that the false report could harm Harvey's reputation.
Governance controls
The article was taken down from NewsBreak's site following the incident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.