- Channel Seven hacked
- YouTube Account Now Shows AI-Generated Elon Musk
Channel Seven appears to have been hacked with its YouTube channel as a target.
YouTube channel 7NEWS Australia is now showing a fake live video of Elon Musk, generated by AI, telling viewers to invest cryptocurrency and receive double the amount in return.
About 60,000 people are currently watching the livestream that supposedly shows Musk speaking into a microphone to a cheering crowd.
A QR scan also appears in the video, and viewers are encouraged to click on it to invest.
The network’s Sunrise YouTube account was also compromised, and viewers were taken to Tesla’s profile when they clicked on it.
The transmission has been running for just under an hour and a half.
“All you need to do is scan the QR code on the screen, go to the website and watch your cryptocurrency double,” the AI-generated Musk is heard saying.
“Today’s event is an opportunity for all cryptocurrency enthusiasts and users to double their assets. It is an opportunity that cannot be missed.”
AI-generated audience members are even seen asking Musk questions.
Channel Seven’s YouTube account has been hacked and now shows an AI-generated Elon Musk livestream
When people search for Channel Seven on YouTube, they are directed to Tesla’s YouTube account.
The live stream shows Musk giving the same speech over and over again.
The hack comes after 150 Seven West Media employees were told on Tuesday they would lose their jobs as part of mass redundancies.
Chief executive Jeff Howard told staff in an email on Tuesday that costs needed to be cut, especially after Meta decided not to renew its agreement to pay for Australian news content.
Meta owns Facebook and Instagram.
“A number of roles in the company will change and, unfortunately, some people will be leaving us,” Howard said.
“We will work hard to reduce the impact on people as much as we can, and we will ensure that our people are fully supported.”
Among the changes at SWM are the departures of chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette, director of marketing and audience Melissa Hopkins and sporting director and managing director of Seven in Melbourne Lewis Martin.
The combined trio has dedicated 65 years to SWM, and Howard said the workplace “will be very different without them.”
More to come
