Latest news with #prank
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Quebec man who pulled off AI band hoax reveals his identity
The Quebec man who pranked journalists and music fans by saying he was behind a wildly successful AI band has revealed his identity as web platform safety and policy issues expert Tim Boucher. Speaking on video from his workspace in a rural area outside Quebec City, Boucher told CBC News Wednesday that the reality-blurring prank was partly motivated by revenge for the five years he worked as a content moderator. "When you're the one that has to deal with all the fighting and the fakery and just all of the garbage that humans can come up with, it changes how you look at the world," he said. Last month, Boucher claimed he created the Velvet Sundown, a '70s-inspired "band" that had about 300,000 monthly listeners at the time and was drawing attention for appearing to use AI. He set up an X account purporting to represent the band and fielded media requests. Using the pseudonym Andrew Frelon — frelon being the French word for hornet — he first said the band was made up of real humans, then "admitted" it was AI, then said he had nothing to do with it at all. The Velvet Sundown now has nearly 1.5 million monthly listeners and its creator remains a mystery. "I want to be able to show people a bit of what that's like — this feeling of having to determine what's real, and having to determine is this right or is this wrong, or having to make all these really weird decisions that for some reason are your problem, or your responsibility," Boucher told CBC News. Boucher has previously been in the news for publishing novels using AI and proposing an AI bill of rights. He also has a history of public pranks, having helped create a fake company and a fake art movement. He insisted on using a pseudonym when he spoke to CBC News three weeks ago, in part because he says he was bombarded with messages from people telling him to kill himself over the Velvet Sundown experiment. He says those messages have tapered off significantly. He says he also hopes to deepen the "convoluted" conversation that has come out of his experiment. "I realized that there's a limit of the depth that we can go to if I'm not willing to expose myself, too, and to be vulnerable," he said. The truth is out there The experiment has sparked conversations about the impact of AI and artificial streaming on music platforms, while spawning a miniature industry around the mysterious band. Countless AI artists with identical or similar names to the Velvet Sundown have popped up on Spotify. On YouTube, people have made videos using band's songs, dissecting the controversy, creating similar AI bands and, in one case, making an eerily realistic fake documentary. At times, it's difficult to parse who is involved with the original Velvet Sundown, who is trying to capitalize on its success and who is simply toying with the absurdity of it all. The Velvet Sundown's official social media accounts have remained quiet, and have not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Two men behind one of whom says he's Canadian and lives part-time in Vancouver, told CBC News they are part of a network of people behind the Velvet Sundown, but declined to answer specific questions about the operation. The site is selling Velvet Sundown-branded merchandise but is not linked to the band's official Spotify or social media accounts. Meanwhile Vinyl Group, which owns Rolling Stone Australia and other music outlets, bought as a condemnation of AI trickery, with an expressed goal to "expose the fakes." Rolling Stone Australia editor in chief Neil Griffiths told CBC News he's found the Velvet Sundown experiment both "fascinating" and "terrifying" and says the new website will be a hub for conversations and investigations about AI and art. Spotify has not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Boucher wants people to be vigilant Boucher's X account, which he initially claimed was run by the band, turned to absurd farewell messages mid week, including AI-generated images of the band members walking into Narnia, being abducted by a UFO and going to heaven. He also posted a collection of public domain Velvet Sundown T-shirt designs, playing on one of the biggest questions raised by the spectacle: who has the rights to a band that no one will claim ownership of? LISTEN | An expert speaks on AI and thinking: Many have suspected he's behind the band after all, a theory Boucher played into with a satirical blog post before going public with his real name in a lengthy blog post entitled The True Confessions of Andrew Frelon. He maintains he has nothing to do with the Velvet Sundown and has been working to crack the case himself. In the meantime, Boucher says he hopes the experiment encourages people to be more vigilant about verifying things they see — and people they encounter — online. "I want people to be encouraged and to learn on their own, to share and to have those conversations," he said. "In a way, it's too bad that sometimes the best way to make those conversations is to trick people in the wild. But I think if you can do that, and then you can expose the trick, there can be a lot of value in that."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Quebec man who pulled off AI band hoax reveals his identity
The Quebec man who pranked journalists and music fans by saying he was behind a wildly successful AI band has revealed his identity as web platform safety and policy issues expert Tim Boucher. Speaking on video from his workspace in a rural area outside Quebec City, Boucher told CBC News Wednesday that the reality-blurring prank was partly motivated by revenge for the five years he worked as a content moderator. "When you're the one that has to deal with all the fighting and the fakery and just all of the garbage that humans can come up with, it changes how you look at the world," he said. Last month, Boucher claimed he created the Velvet Sundown, a '70s-inspired "band" that had about 300,000 monthly listeners at the time and was drawing attention for appearing to use AI. He set up an X account purporting to represent the band and fielded media requests. Using the pseudonym Andrew Frelon — frelon being the French word for hornet — he first said the band was made up of real humans, then "admitted" it was AI, then said he had nothing to do with it at all. The Velvet Sundown now has nearly 1.5 million monthly listeners and its creator remains a mystery. "I want to be able to show people a bit of what that's like — this feeling of having to determine what's real, and having to determine is this right or is this wrong, or having to make all these really weird decisions that for some reason are your problem, or your responsibility," Boucher told CBC News. Boucher has previously been in the news for publishing novels using AI and proposing an AI bill of rights. He also has a history of public pranks, having helped create a fake company and a fake art movement. He insisted on using a pseudonym when he spoke to CBC News three weeks ago, in part because he says he was bombarded with messages from people telling him to kill himself over the Velvet Sundown experiment. He says those messages have tapered off significantly. He says he also hopes to deepen the "convoluted" conversation that has come out of his experiment. "I realized that there's a limit of the depth that we can go to if I'm not willing to expose myself, too, and to be vulnerable," he said. The truth is out there The experiment has sparked conversations about the impact of AI and artificial streaming on music platforms, while spawning a miniature industry around the mysterious band. Countless AI artists with identical or similar names to the Velvet Sundown have popped up on Spotify. On YouTube, people have made videos using band's songs, dissecting the controversy, creating similar AI bands and, in one case, making an eerily realistic fake documentary. At times, it's difficult to parse who is involved with the original Velvet Sundown, who is trying to capitalize on its success and who is simply toying with the absurdity of it all. The Velvet Sundown's official social media accounts have remained quiet, and have not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Two men behind one of whom says he's Canadian and lives part-time in Vancouver, told CBC News they are part of a network of people behind the Velvet Sundown, but declined to answer specific questions about the operation. The site is selling Velvet Sundown-branded merchandise but is not linked to the band's official Spotify or social media accounts. Meanwhile Vinyl Group, which owns Rolling Stone Australia and other music outlets, bought as a condemnation of AI trickery, with an expressed goal to "expose the fakes." Rolling Stone Australia editor in chief Neil Griffiths told CBC News he's found the Velvet Sundown experiment both "fascinating" and "terrifying" and says the new website will be a hub for conversations and investigations about AI and art. Spotify has not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Boucher wants people to be vigilant Boucher's X account, which he initially claimed was run by the band, turned to absurd farewell messages mid week, including AI-generated images of the band members walking into Narnia, being abducted by a UFO and going to heaven. He also posted a collection of public domain Velvet Sundown T-shirt designs, playing on one of the biggest questions raised by the spectacle: who has the rights to a band that no one will claim ownership of? LISTEN | An expert speaks on AI and thinking: Many have suspected he's behind the band after all, a theory Boucher played into with a satirical blog post before going public with his real name in a lengthy blog post entitled The True Confessions of Andrew Frelon. He maintains he has nothing to do with the Velvet Sundown and has been working to crack the case himself. In the meantime, Boucher says he hopes the experiment encourages people to be more vigilant about verifying things they see — and people they encounter — online. "I want people to be encouraged and to learn on their own, to share and to have those conversations," he said. "In a way, it's too bad that sometimes the best way to make those conversations is to trick people in the wild. But I think if you can do that, and then you can expose the trick, there can be a lot of value in that."
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Quebec man who pulled off AI band hoax reveals his identity
The Quebec man who pranked journalists and music fans by saying he was behind a wildly successful AI band has revealed his identity as web platform safety and policy issues expert Tim Boucher. Speaking on video from his workspace in a rural area outside Quebec City, Boucher told CBC News Wednesday that the reality-blurring prank was partly motivated by revenge for the five years he worked as a content moderator. "When you're the one that has to deal with all the fighting and the fakery and just all of the garbage that humans can come up with, it changes how you look at the world," he said. Last month, Boucher claimed he created the Velvet Sundown, a '70s-inspired "band" that had about 300,000 monthly listeners at the time and was drawing attention for appearing to use AI. He set up an X account purporting to represent the band and fielded media requests. Using the pseudonym Andrew Frelon — frelon being the French word for hornet — he first said the band was made up of real humans, then "admitted" it was AI, then said he had nothing to do with it at all. The Velvet Sundown now has nearly 1.5 million monthly listeners and its creator remains a mystery. "I want to be able to show people a bit of what that's like — this feeling of having to determine what's real, and having to determine is this right or is this wrong, or having to make all these really weird decisions that for some reason are your problem, or your responsibility," Boucher told CBC News. Boucher has previously been in the news for publishing novels using AI and proposing an AI bill of rights. He also has a history of public pranks, having helped create a fake company and a fake art movement. He insisted on using a pseudonym when he spoke to CBC News three weeks ago, in part because he says he was bombarded with messages from people telling him to kill himself over the Velvet Sundown experiment. He says those messages have tapered off significantly. He says he also hopes to deepen the "convoluted" conversation that has come out of his experiment. "I realized that there's a limit of the depth that we can go to if I'm not willing to expose myself, too, and to be vulnerable," he said. The truth is out there The experiment has sparked conversations about the impact of AI and artificial streaming on music platforms, while spawning a miniature industry around the mysterious band. Countless AI artists with identical or similar names to the Velvet Sundown have popped up on Spotify. On YouTube, people have made videos using band's songs, dissecting the controversy, creating similar AI bands and, in one case, making an eerily realistic fake documentary. At times, it's difficult to parse who is involved with the original Velvet Sundown, who is trying to capitalize on its success and who is simply toying with the absurdity of it all. The Velvet Sundown's official social media accounts have remained quiet, and have not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Two men behind one of whom says he's Canadian and lives part-time in Vancouver, told CBC News they are part of a network of people behind the Velvet Sundown, but declined to answer specific questions about the operation. The site is selling Velvet Sundown-branded merchandise but is not linked to the band's official Spotify or social media accounts. Meanwhile Vinyl Group, which owns Rolling Stone Australia and other music outlets, bought as a condemnation of AI trickery, with an expressed goal to "expose the fakes." Rolling Stone Australia editor in chief Neil Griffiths told CBC News he's found the Velvet Sundown experiment both "fascinating" and "terrifying" and says the new website will be a hub for conversations and investigations about AI and art. Spotify has not responded to CBC News's requests for comment. Boucher wants people to be vigilant Boucher's X account, which he initially claimed was run by the band, turned to absurd farewell messages mid week, including AI-generated images of the band members walking into Narnia, being abducted by a UFO and going to heaven. He also posted a collection of public domain Velvet Sundown T-shirt designs, playing on one of the biggest questions raised by the spectacle: who has the rights to a band that no one will claim ownership of? Many have suspected he's behind the band after all, a theory Boucher played into with a satirical blog post before going public with his real name in a lengthy blog post entitled The True Confessions of Andrew Frelon. He maintains he has nothing to do with the Velvet Sundown and has been working to crack the case himself. In the meantime, Boucher says he hopes the experiment encourages people to be more vigilant about verifying things they see — and people they encounter — online. "I want people to be encouraged and to learn on their own, to share and to have those conversations," he said. "In a way, it's too bad that sometimes the best way to make those conversations is to trick people in the wild. But I think if you can do that, and then you can expose the trick, there can be a lot of value in that."
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Amateur prankster's dangerous bid to 'win' Tour de France stage ends VERY painfully - courtesy of a security guard
An amateur cyclist who dangerously tried to cross the finish line of the Tour de France moments before the race leader has been taken into custody after being sent to the floor by a security guard. The prankster, dressed in full cycling attire, hopped over security barriers and attempted to cross the finish line at the end of stage 17 on Wednesday, before a member of the security team tackled him to the concrete. In a video published to social media, the individual - who is understood by French media to be a 31-year-old man from Montelimar - explains his bid to hop the fence and finish the race in front of the peloton. Referring to the race leader, the man tells the camera: 'He thinks he's the one who's going to cross the finish line first, he doesn't know that there's a guy with a bike just behind a barrier who's going to win the race. I'm going to win the race.' The man was dressed like a professional cyclist, sporting a Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team jersey and a black helmet on his head. The video ends with the prankster jumping the barriers and cycling down the track while a sea of spectators watch on, bemused. L'interception en vidéo (via @tv2danmark et @/nikolab2e sur tiktok). #TDF2025 — Paul Moutarde (@PaulMoutarde) July 23, 2025 An amateur cyclist who dangerously tried to cross the finish line of the Tour de France moments before the peloton has been taken into custody As soon as staff noticed the dangerous track invasion, multiple security guards rushed out towards the finish line to stop him, concerned for the safety of the athletes competing. Although the incident was not captured initially by television cameras, footage was later released to social media showing the amateur cyclist's downfall. As he closes in on the finish line, the man managed to swerve the first security guard, who struck him hard on the back, before being stopped by the second. The 17th stage of cycling's most prestigious race was eventually won by Jonathan Milan, who rides for UCI WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. Slovenian Tadej Pogacar is currently sitting atop the overall leaderboard, with Jonas Vingegaard serving as his closest challenger as the race reaches the French Alps for the first time this year at the 18th stage. Reacting to the incident on X, formerly Twitter, users were quick to admonish the actions of the protestor. One user wrote: 'Hahahah what a loser'. A second added: 'Crazy. The race is tough enough without the crazy protestors'. A further comment read: 'Absolutely destroyed his shoulder - that'll never be the same again. And probably deserved it.' It comes after cycling fans expressed their outrage earlier in the event after seeing the vantage point some spectators took to catch a glimpse of the second stage. That part of the race culminated in Boulogne-sur-Mer, located in the north of the country around 25 miles south-west of Calais. The race saw Mathieu van der Poel pip Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to give the Dutchman the leader's yellow jersey. Given the drama during the race, it appears that some fans were so eager to see it for themselves that they disregarded their surroundings to be able to watch it live. A clip posted to X, formerly Twitter, shows some fans gathering on the edge of a cemetery to be as near to the action as possible. That provoked outrage among many cycling fans, who felt the onlookers showed a lack of respect by doing so.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Purge-style prank sweeping America sees several teens put in cuffs
A terrifying viral social media prank carried out by teenagers who trick victims into thinking their home is being broken into has swept America. A recent video of the purge-style prank, similar to the dystopian movie series about an America where all crime is legal for one night of the year, shows a group of five Florida teens making their way toward a home in Riverview - about 20 minutes from Tampa - on Friday at around 10.40pm. Shocking Ring doorbell footage captured the moment one of the unidentified teens walked toward the house with a ski mask covering their face while holding an airsoft gun before kicking the front door, firing a plastic pellet, and running away, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. In the clip, the teen can be seen pointing the gun at the front door and firing it as several shots rang out. He then darts out onto the street with the rest of the group, laughing as they run. Chronister, who called the new trend the 'door kick challenge,' said the prank is making waves across TikTok and needs to stop immediately. Alongside a clip of the prank on X he wrote: 'Parents, please talk with your children about this dangerous trend, which could end in tragedy.' The sheriff has asked anyone with information on the suspects in the video to call the department. A slew of similar incidents have taken place in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, and more. This is just one of the latest incidents, as two teenagers were slapped with felony burglary charges after they kicked another stranger's front door in the Sunshine State. Jeffery Merthie, 15, and Zahmarii Reddick, 13, were arrested in DeBary, near Orlando, on July 6 after they kicked a neighbor's door in. Merthie and Reddick were seen on doorbell footage sneaking up to the house, before slowly turning around with their backs to the door and kicking it several times before fleeing. Bodycam footage later showed Merthie being placed in cuffs while he stood next to another teen, who was not identified. Both boys told Volusia Sheriff's deputies that they were leaving Reddick's house. One officer asked: 'Where's the girl?' The unidentified teen responded: 'We didn't do nothing, I promise you.' The officer who was placing Merthie in cuffs said: 'I promise you you did. Not you, but he did. 'The camera is crystal clear [of] you running up on their front porch and you turn around and kick their front door in... The camera can not be no more clear.' Merthie was picked up by police after they noticed his 'distinctive' shorts, which were multicolored. When asked why they did it, Merthie told them they were 'just being dumb.' He added: 'We weren't responsible, we won't do that no more.' Merthie tried to defend their actions, saying they just kicked the door, but the officer quickly pulled up photos of the broken door on his phone to show the teen. The door had large chunks of splintered wood and the lock and doorknob was entirely busted off. The officer said: 'That's completely broken in. You know those people could have shot you?' Reddick was taken into custody after her mother allowed officers inside the home to search for the girl. Outside of Florida, a woman in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania - about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia - caught the suspected prank in action at her home in June. Her Ring camera caught a group of teens trying to kick her front door open, leaving damage to it as they did so. Lansdale Police Chief Mike Trail said the department identified the suspects, and said parents need to monitor their children closely. Talking about children's social media use, Trail said: 'Understand that there a lot of safety parameters that you can institute. 'Like family pairing, where you can tell what your kids are looking at.' Also in June, police in Van Buren Township, Michigan responded to two incidents where homeowners said their front doors were forcibly kicked open. One video showed a teen kicking the door while another watched on and recorded it. In May, Fort Worth Police said there were at least 21 reports involving the dangerous prank occurring in multiple parts of the Texas city. Fort Worth police Officer Buddy Calzada, while in conversation with NBCDFW, made it clear that in Texas especially people have 'every right to arm themselves.' The officer said: 'We're in Texas. People have every right to arm themselves, they have whatever they can do to keep somebody from coming into their house. 'And when somebody kicks on it, that may not be what they're wanting to do to break in, but it definitely gives a perception of that.'
