Why are real, human TikTokers pretending to be AI?
The latest version of Google's AI tool Veo can make impressively realistic-looking 8-second videos.
While this has inevitably raised concerns about people being fooled by deepfake videos, Kyle Orland from Ars Technica noticed another, more curious trend gaining steam at the same time: real content creators pretending to be AI-generated on TikTok.
Today on Commotion, Orland chats with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about what made him take notice of this trend, why human content creators might want to pretend to be AI, and what it all means for our ability to parse out the truth online.
WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 17:17):
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CTV News
42 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘You feel betrayed': Halifax professor sees spike in cheating by students using AI
Ed McHugh, a business and marketing professor at Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and Mount Saint Vincent universities in Halifax, speaks with CTV News on June 19, 2025. As artificial intelligence rises in popularity, one Halifax professor says he's noticed an unsettling trend over the last two years – students are using it to cheat on assignments. 'Having one student doing it is serious, but it's increasing,' said Ed McHugh, a business and marketing professor at Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and Mount Saint Vincent universities. 'I don't know the percentage, but it's more than one per cent.' McHugh recently posted about the issue on social media after he noticed a number of students cheated on an assignment. He could tell they had used AI to do the work for them. 'I was marking an assignment. They had to watch a video about a guy named Adam Smith and asked why he was treated the way he was. Unfortunately for them there was also an economist from the 18th century named Adam Smith and the answer that came back from a number of students was a history lesson on Adam Smith the economist from over 200 years ago,' explained McHugh. 'They didn't bother to watch the video. They just saw the words Adam Smith, did AI on Adam Smith, and gave me back a paragraph about Adam Smith the economist, which had nothing to do with the assignment.' Several commenters shared similar frustrations on McHugh's post. He says he's not alone in this and many other educators feel the same way. 'I feel disappointed any time a student cheats. As an educator you feel some sense of sadness and anger because you feel betrayed and you feel that they think you mustn't be that bright to catch some of this stuff,' said McHugh. However, McHugh says there are ways for educators to detect the use of this software, and some uses of AI are obvious. Another thing he's noticed as a professor is the decline of grammar skills over the last 30 years, which he says can actually be useful when trying to determine if someone used AI. If a student who struggles with grammar hands in a perfectly-worded assignment, McHugh says they likely used AI. 'When you have an email that is not written very well grammar-wise, but the attached assignment is in perfect English,' adds McHugh. McHugh also says the AI software he's noticed students using follows a certain format in its answers, so when someone copies the responses from it, it's noticeable. 'But then after that it gets really tricky and it comes down to your word versus the student's word,' he says. But there are ethical ways to use the software in schools. Some students like Juliette Savard use AI to enhance their writing and fact check. 'I think AI, when it is used the right way, is actually a really great tool,' said Savard. 'I use it all the time as a Google replacement because sometimes Google, it just links you to articles and it doesn't find you what you actually are looking for. And ChatGPT is really great for that because it will find you what you are actually looking for.' But when it comes to using AI to write her assignments, Savard says she would never take that chance. 'I would never use it to do my actual work because it's really stupid, if I can be honest. Give it a math equation, it doesn't know how to solve it,' she says. Her brother Gabriel Savard, who is in his third year at Dalhousie University, says English is not his first language, so for him, AI helps him better understand assignments. 'Usually when I see it, it's to get a better understanding of what the question is asking and put them in my words,' he says. 'English is not my first language so it helps to get that understanding of what is being asked of me.' Serena Dasilva is a third-year psychology student at Dalhousie University. She feels AI is useful for certain programs, but not all. 'For the arts specifically, I feel like it hinders your learning because you are relying a lot on social views, specifically how people interact with other people, and I feel like relying on AI kind of takes away from that,' says Dasilva. As for the rules of using the software in schools, they vary from classroom to classroom, and across different education levels. McHugh says, in post-secondary schools, professors should highlight their AI policies in their course outlines. 'So far, all of the policies I have read are not strong. The policies need to be stronger and a lot of them are discouraging the use of other softwares to detect whether AI has been used because those softwares aren't perfect either,' says McHugh. In general, one rule across the board is no plagiarism or cheating on work, whether using AI or not. If those rules aren't followed, there are serious consequences for students. 'On your first assignment, if you are caught and it's proven, you get zero for the assignment,' explains McHugh. 'If you're caught again in the course, you get zero for the course.' At the end of the day, McHugh says AI can be a great tool when used appropriately, but students who rely completely on AI are hindering their own learning. 'People go to school to become critical thinkers and that's why we teach because we want the generations behind us to be better thinkers and to make the world a better place,' he says. 'In some ways this helps, but in some ways this is being a deterrent to creating stronger students in the future.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page


Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
GreetEat Corp. (OTC: GEAT) Taps Neva IT to Build Salesforce Integration for Virtual Dining Experiences
RENO, Nev. , June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GreetEat Corp. (OTC: GEAT), the trailblazing platform fusing video conferencing with food delivery, today announced a strategic partnership with enterprise IT leader Neva IT to develop a custom Salesforce integration for its virtual dining platform. The integration will allow Salesforce users to seamlessly plan, manage, and measure GreetEat-powered events such as client lunches, team celebrations, and virtual happy hours without ever leaving their CRM. Key features will include automated invitations, real-time voucher tracking, and ROI analytics for meetings enhanced with meals and drinks. 'Partnering with Neva IT and Bonita Elevario is a game-changer for our enterprise clients,' said Vishal Patel, CEO of GreetEat. 'This Salesforce integration will help companies elevate their virtual engagement with measurable, human-centered experiences.' With over 25 years of experience and a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients, Neva IT brings deep expertise in building secure, scalable CRM solutions. 'GreetEat is redefining how companies connect,' said Bonita Elevario, CEO of Neva IT. 'We're thrilled to help embed that experience directly into Salesforce.' Why Salesforce? As the world's leading CRM platform, Salesforce is trusted by over 150,000 companies. By integrating GreetEat into Salesforce, enterprises can simplify workflows and track the full impact of food-enhanced virtual meetings. Enterprise-Grade Security The integration will adhere to stringent security protocols, including encrypted API access, permission-based controls, and full event logging to protect user and corporate data. A Strategic Leap Forward This partnership marks a pivotal step in GreetEat's enterprise evolution—bringing the power of shared virtual dining to the global Salesforce ecosystem. About GreetEat Corp. GreetEat Corp. (OTC: GEAT) is reimagining how people connect through its virtual dining platform, which merges food delivery with real-time video conferencing for more meaningful remote interactions. About Neva IT Neva IT is a boutique technology firm specializing in enterprise-grade solutions, particularly Salesforce development, with a track record of delivering innovation to leading global organizations.


Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Meta Platforms, Blackrock, IBIT, Circle and Coinbase
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – June 20, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Meta Platforms META, Blackrock BLK, iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF IBIT, Circle CRCL and Coinbase COIN. Bitcoin's launch in 2009 changed the world forever and triggered the crypto revolution. The world's first cryptocurrency rose from obscurity, once primarily used for nefarious purposes like buying drugs off the dark web off websites like 'The Silk Road,' to the mainstream. Today, Bitcoin is a $2.08 trillion asset and is larger than some of America's largest companies like Meta undeniable success has bred further innovations and new products. Depending on how you count, there are approximately 10,000 cryptocurrencies in existence. Few could have possibly predicted that, Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager and once a Bitcoin skeptic, would launch the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. Still, there have been many booms, busts, and too many failures to count. For example, non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, caught fire a few years ago, only to plunge in value and become irrelevant. That said, stablecoins are a rare and often overlooked crypto innovation that is likely to stay. Better yet, the stablecoin revolution is in its infancy and will only grow from here. What is a Stablecoin? When most investors think of cryptocurrencies, they think of rampant speculation and volatility. To most, these attributes are a feature, not a bug. However, a stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that is built to have low volatility and "peg" its value to a stable asset such as the fiat currency (like the US dollar) or a commodity like silver. Stablecoin operators back their stablecoins by holding fiat currency or T-bills in bank accounts. What is the Benefit of Stablecoins? Beyond bringing low volatility to crypto, stablecoins bridge the gap between crypto and legacy finance. The primary benefit of using stablecoins is that they allow for far cheaper and more rapid transactions than traditional banks. In addition, these stablecoins allow for much easier international transactions and wait times. Why Stablecoin Adoption is Increasing Rapidly On 'The All-In Podcast,' venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya laid out two reasons stablecoin usage will surge in 2025: 1. Stablecoin usage decoupled from crypto volatility for the first time in 2024. In other words, stablecoins are being used for wholesale useful functions in running a business. 2. In the first half of 2024, stablecoins ($8.5T) had more than double the transaction volume of Visa (~$3.5T). Chamath continued, "I think we're going to finally attack the duopoly of Visa and Mastercard. I think you're going to see an innumerable number of use cases that sit and use stablecoin rails. Judging by the performance of recent IPO Circle, operator of the second largest stablecoin USDC (a stablecoin pegged to the dollar), the Wall Street investors believe the hype. CRCL shares are already up 79% since going public earlier this month! Meanwhile, while stablecoin demand is already impressive, a new bill advancing through congress can accelerate that demand. Senate Passes GENIUS Stablecoin Act After years of running into regulatory hurdles, mostly from the Democrats, the US Senate has approved stablecoin legislation in a bipartisan vote. The bill would finally put a regulatory framework around issuing and operating stablecoins, lending credibility to the industry. Next, the bill will move to the US House of Representatives, where the Republicans hold a majority. Finally, it will go to President Trump's desk, where it will likely be signed (based on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments). Stablecoin Winners & Losers As mentioned, CRCL is a big winner based on its performance. Coinbase,which has a revenue share program with CRCL, is another big card companies like Mastercard and Visa as well as legacy banks, are potential is looking to move into the industry after filing a patent for a stablecoin-like token called JPMD. Bottom Line The stablecoin revolution is more than a fleeting trend; it's a fundamental shift in how we approach digital transactions in the broader financial landscape. With its efficiency, low cost, and legislative support, demand for stablecoins is set to soar. Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks? Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. See Stocks Free >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@ Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom. With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028. See This Stock Now for Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. 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