OPENAI
This might be the most elaborate fake ad story yet
As the Super Bowl ended, rumours started spreading about a “leaked” OpenAI advert.
The story claimed an upset employee had accidentally posted the full video online after the ad didn’t air.
The fake clip showed actor Alexander Skarsgård with what looked like OpenAI’s first hardware product: a shiny orb and wraparound earbuds.
OpenAI quickly denied it. President Greg Brockman called it “fake news,” and spokesperson Lindsay McCallum Rémy confirmed it was completely made up.
The Reddit account behind the post was brand new, which made the story even more suspicious.
The account was later deleted, but archived posts suggest the person previously worked as a bookkeeper in Santa Monica, not someone involved in OpenAI advertising.
In brief:
A fake OpenAI Super Bowl ad rumour spread online, featuring Alexander Skarsgård and a supposed new device.
OpenAI leaders quickly confirmed the story was false.
The hoax included deleted accounts, paid promotion attempts, and fake headlines and websites.
There’s no orb
The hoax seems to have been planned and shared across different platforms.
Tech leaker Max Weinbach posted screenshots of an email offering payment to promote the fake ad story, listing a real amount of $1,146.12.
AdAge reporter Gillian Follett also warned about a fake headline using her name, and OpenAI CMO Kate Rouch said an entire fake website had been created to support the rumour.
OpenAI can’t breathe without someone inventing lore around it. - MG