By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-23 05:43:07 | Updated at 2024-12-23 10:02:56
4 hours ago
Steve Harvey fans were sent on a frenzy after receiving a fake news alert that the beloved television host had died - before they eventually realized the report wasn't true.
Dozens of social media users took to X to express their shock and heartbreak at the NewsBreak app alert, but soon became outraged when they learned the news aggregation site was sharing a fake AI-generated story, according to The Wrap.
The article, entitled Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering the Legacy of a Comedy Legend, was shared to the NewsBreak app on Wednesday.
'Today, the world has lost a remarkable figure n the entertainment industry as Steve Harvey passed away,' it read.
But those who looked closely noticed the article was actually dated one day later, and upon further investigation, the 67-year-old Family Feud host was alive and well.
'Gmorn'n did anyone else wake up to Steve Harvey passed away news, and it was a spam or virus link?' one X user posted.
He soon received numerous replies from other Steve Harvey fans who said they also received the alert.
'I did,' another wrote. 'I clicked on it and there was no info. I looked him up and it seems he's alive and well.
Steve Harvey fans were shocked and outraged when they received a fake news alert saying he was dead
One social media user asked whether he was the only one to receive the notification
'Why do people do these things?'
'The internet really needs to stop playing with people's lives,' a third X user added.
'That false a** news about Steve Harvey being dead wrong asf. Smh.'
A fourth also wrote that the hoax shows the dangers of AI.
'Just when you think AI is infallible, it declares Steve Harvey dead!' she posted.
'Remember, even tech can stumble. Let's hustle and live life to the fullest.'
The comments section of the NewsBreak app was also filled with angry reactions, with one person even suggesting Harvey sue the outlet.
'I don't care for this dude, but I hope he catches wind of this article and sue whoever wrote this article,' he wrote. 'You basically wished death on that man out here, lying on that man's soul like that.
'How f***ing false, it would be all over the Internet, and Google does not say nothing,' another wrote.
He soon received numerous replies from other Steve Harvey fans who said they also received the alert
Many hit out at the NewsBreak app for spreading the false story
A spokesman for NewsBreak told the Independent in the aftermath that it is simply 'an information platform that aggregates content from a wide range of sources, including leading news outlets.
'Our team investigates any content flagged as harmful or misleading and acts swiftly to remove anything that violates our Community Standards.
'We have removed the article in question and sincerely apologize to Mr. Harvey and his family for any grief that it has caused.'
Still, news of Harvey's death led to him being the second-most popular Google search on Wednesday morning.
But it was unclear whether Harvey was aware of the rumors of his demise - though he wrote on Sunday: 'I wake up every single day grateful no matter what situation I'm in.'
One social media user said it shows the limits of artificial intelligence
Harvey had been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, with a rumor circulating in October that he died in a car crash.
#RIPHarvey also spread like wildfire last year, after a Kentucky sports fan named Harvey Doyle lost his life.
But the hashtag sparked misinformation that the television host had suddenly passed away - prompting him to have some fun as he shared a picture of himself looking down at his phone while smoking a cigar.
'Me seeing that RIP Harvey is trending,' he wrote.
