North Queensland Cowboys CEO Michael Luck has strongly condemned the circulation of fake AI-generated posts targeting club identities on social media, labeling the inaccurate content as 'highly disturbing.'
Fabricated Stories Spark Outrage
The controversy erupted after the Cowboys Fan Hub Facebook page falsely claimed that club legend Johnathan Thurston had been diagnosed with cancer. The same page also alleged that some Cowboys cheerleaders had posted lewd images online. Additionally, the Brisbane Broncos have been victimized, with a Facebook page known as 'River City Broncos Fans' falsely posting that Pat Carrigan's mother, Carmel, had passed away.
Luck told News Corp that the club had received numerous reports about these AI-generated stories. 'We have seen a rise in the number of reports from our playing group and their families of posts on social media platforms, which are clearly from fake accounts,' Luck said. 'Some of the posts are highly disturbing in nature, including fabricated stories about our players, past and present, and their partners. It is disappointing we live in a world where people find validation and self-worth by promoting provocative misinformation, in this instance using AI.'
NRL and Meta Collaboration
The NRL is aware of the fake accounts and is reportedly working with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to shut down these misleading pages. This is not the first instance of AI-generated content targeting NRL figures. In July last year, NSW Blues halfback Nathan Cleary engaged lawyers after an AI-generated image of him was placed on cars following the State of Origin decider. Cleary's legal team threatened civil and criminal charges over flyers left on cars in Sydney Olympic Park's P1 carpark, which depicted Cleary with a woman and included a fabricated message.
Melbourne Storm hooker Harry Grant has also reportedly been targeted with fake AI images online. Furthermore, recent false posts claimed that outgoing Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater had re-signed with the club on a $55 million deal.
The rise of such AI-generated misinformation underscores the challenges faced by sports organizations in combating digital falsehoods that can harm reputations and cause distress to individuals and families.
