Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has come a long way since it was first introduced. What once seemed like science fiction is now a part of our everyday lives.
From generating images and videos to creating human-like avatars that speak fluently in any language, AI has reached a point where it is getting harder to tell what is real and what is not. These days, we can ask AI to design homes, plan holidays, write stories, and even create entire news reports, and it will deliver within seconds.
But this impressive technology also comes with a downside as it can be misused or misunderstood, especially by those who may not be familiar with it.
A recent incident involving an elderly couple is a reminder of just how convincing AI-generated content can be.
According to a woman named Dya, who works at a hotel in Perak, the couple had travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur to visit a cable car attraction they saw online. When they arrived and asked her if she had been on the cable car at Kuak Hulu, she was confused. As someone who grew up in the area, she knew no such attraction existed.
Thinking they might have been mistaken, she asked to see the video they were referring to. That was when it all made sense. What they had watched was a completely AI-generated video. From the visuals of the cable car to the “reporter” introducing the location, everything was fake.
Dya gently explained to them that the video was not real, and that the people in it were not real either. But the couple, clearly upset and disappointed, found it hard to believe.
“They said, ‘There is no way people would cheat others like that, especially with a proper reporter and all,’” Dya shared.
It was a heartbreaking moment. The elderly man quietly asked his wife what they should do next, and when Dya asked if they had checked with their children before making the trip, they admitted they had not because they felt too embarrassed.
The elderly woman even suggested taking legal action against the fake “reporter”, only to be told that the reporter was not even a real person, “Ishh, how could they create people like this?” she said in disbelief.
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Posted by Nurul Afzarina Mokhtar on Monday 23 June 2025
The story has since gone viral, with Dya reminding everyone to be mindful of what their elderly parents or relatives are watching online.
With how realistic AI-generated content is now, it is easy to fall for something that looks trustworthy. We truly understand how the couple got confused, and we feel sorry for what they went through.
Hopefully, families will step in to help monitor what their loved ones are consuming online so they will not be tricked into believing something that is not real!
