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Super Bowl Scams Surge, AI 'Slop' Floods Social Media, and Global Events Impact Tourism
Scammers were actively targeting individuals with Super Bowl-related scams in February, while artificial intelligence-generated content was transforming social media, and global events were impacting international tourism.
During February, millions of Americans were targeted with Super Bowl-related scams via texts, emails, and calls, according to Fox News. These scams often took the form of messages such as "Your ticket couldn't be delivered," "Your streaming account needs verification," or "Your betting account was locked." Fox News reported that scammers were relying on data brokers to target their messages effectively.
Meanwhile, AI-generated content, dubbed "AI slop," was becoming increasingly prevalent on social media platforms, sparking a backlash, reported BBC Technology. Joe Tidy, a cyber correspondent for BBC World Service, highlighted an example of an AI-generated image of impoverished children that went viral on Facebook, garnering nearly one million likes and heart emojis. Théodore, quoted by BBC Technology, expressed his dismay at the image, stating, "It boggled my mind. The absurd AI."
In other technology news, Matt Schlicht, head of commerce platform Octane AI, launched Moltbook, a social media network designed for AI, BBC Technology reported. The platform, which resembles Reddit, allows AI to post, comment, and create communities called "submolts." According to the company, humans are "welcome to observe" Moltbook's activities but cannot post.
In the realm of business, Disney warned of a potential hit to its amusement park business in the U.S. due to declining numbers of international visitors, according to BBC Business. The company planned to offset this decline by marketing to U.S. customers and still expected modest growth in its parks business. Natalie Sherman, a business reporter for BBC, noted that the number of foreign visitors to the U.S. dropped last year for the first time since 2020, with some analysts attributing it to a backlash against former President Donald Trump's policies.
Finally, in Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Fytia caused flooding that affected nearly 30,000 people and killed at least three, The Guardian reported. Maggie Shopova and Ed Walton for Met Desk, writing for The Guardian, estimated that more than 40,000 homes could be flooded in the coming days.
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