How AI-generated videos could fuel sports misinformation

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FOLLOWING the Manchester City defeat against Spur in the Carabao Cup in November 2024, an Instagram account, @memerunnergpt posted an AI-generated clip showing the club’s manager, Pep Guardiola, calling Spurs a ‘garbage’ team and regretting signing a contract extension at Man City.

The 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham made it the fifth straight for Pep Guardiola as Manchester City struggled to win games. However, a look at the full press conference held after the match shows that Guardiola did not make such remarks.

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that this is not the first time the account has generated and spread fake interviews of football managers online.

For instance, it created a video of the Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, saying Bournemouth’s stadium stinks and that he might be sacked before 2024 Christmas. It also created a video of Real Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, calling his players unprintable names after the defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League.

@Memerunnergpt is not the only account using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread misleading narratives on social media, though it clearly indicated that its videos are parody and AI-generated. For instance, this account shared a misleading video of Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, criticizing the decision of the club to sign the goalkeeper, Andre Onana.

This followed their defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford, England where they lost 1–3, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty in the 23rd minute. Interestingly, the video generated over 1,700 reposts and 10,000 likes on X.

READ: Malaysia launches AI chatbot to combat fake news

Research published by the University of Limpopo in South Africa shows that fake sports news is prominent on social media and poses a major challenge to journalistic integrity and credibility. It also found that fake sports news hurts journalism practice, as it spreads lies, makes people more interested in emotional stories and forces credible news agencies to also use sensational headlines to gain audience attention.

Fact-checkers and sports analysts who spoke to The FactCheckHub said the trend of AI-generated videos might impact the credibility of sports reporting and fans’ engagement as the creators play with the emotions of fans whose clubs are facing difficult times.

Dotun Omisakin, a sports analyst, emphasized that AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation are eroding the credibility of sports reporting and fan engagement which stem from the lack of regulation in the Nigerian social media space and the exploitation of AI technology by individuals who manipulate it for sensational content on social media.

“To be honest, it impacts the credibility of sports reporting and fans’ engagement. This boils down to the lack of regulation in the social media sector and the manipulation of AI content by a few people who understand and exploit it via social media,” he said.

According to Omisakin, mainstream media is no longer in control of information dissemination, as many unregulated content creators have entered the space without understanding the consequences of their actions.

He explained that sport is an emotional subject for many, and false narratives often appeal to these emotions, particularly during challenging times for fans.

“Sport is a game of emotions, and when fake news like this is propagated, it appeals to readers’ emotions, especially when their teams are performing poorly. Take the videos about Manchester City and Manchester United, for example. Both teams were experiencing disappointing seasons, and such false narratives affected fans. They might even cause some fans to make illogical decisions,” he added.

Omisakin also highlighted how misinformation can influence players, teams, and coaches, often having psychological effects. He cited Victor Osimhen as an example, explaining how misleading headlines comparing his performances for Napoli and the Super Eagles could demoralize the player.

“A player like Victor Osimhen, who performs excellently at his club but struggles with the Super Eagles, could be affected by sensational headlines questioning why he scores for Napoli but not Nigeria,” he said. “Imagine waking up to read a headline questioning his performances—it could discourage him.”

He also pointed to the case of Osimhen and Finidi George, where controversial reports sparked tension between the player and the coach leading to conflicts that contributed to the latter’s resignation as Super Eagles coach.

Omisakin argued that AI-generated misinformation exacerbates these tensions, undermining trust and credibility in sports reporting.

“These deepfake videos, often appearing to be from reputable post-match conferences, manipulate the trust fans place in the media,” he said, stressing the need for stricter laws to penalize such actions.

He concluded that the absence of regulations has allowed misinformation to thrive, urging sporting bodies to introduce policies to protect fans, players, and teams from its harmful effects.

“If deterrent measures are introduced, it could help reduce such incidents. Sporting bodies must create policies to safeguard fans and players from misinformation, ensuring better media accountability and protecting the integrity of sports reporting,” he added.

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On his part, Caleb Ijioma, a Disinformation Analyst and Executive Director of Round Check explained that deepfake videos and AI-generated content could convincingly depict athletes or coaches saying or doing things they never did, leading to severe consequences.

“These fabrications can quickly go viral, mislead fans, damage reputations, and sway readers’ attention from original content. For instance, the ‘Synthetic Echo’ ring identified by DoubleVerify involved over 200 sports news websites using AI-generated or plagiarized content to deceive readers and divert advertising revenue from legitimate media outlets.”

Ijioma also warned about the dangers of fabricated images portraying violence on the pitch, which can incite violence among local supporters and die-hard fans. He stressed that such situations deepen the negative impact of misinformation on sports.

When asked how the public can identify and verify misinformation, Ijioma recommended performing quick online searches to assess the credibility of sources. “Always depend on more than one source,” he advised. “I prefer to rely on different reputable websites or platforms for information. If the information isn’t posted there, know that there is potential misinformation.”

He also suggested using tools like deepware.ai to identify AI-generated content and advised caution regarding newly created accounts or websites with minimal history.

Speaking on the impact of AI in sports reporting, Ijioma noted that research shows transparency can sometimes backfire when audiences distrust AI-generated content.

“While transparency often builds trust, disclosing AI involvement may have the opposite effect,” he said. “This damages local sports reporting even more when AI is used to narrate events or generate images. It makes it seem like media industries reporting on sports cannot be relied on, and people might bypass the media entirely, opting to get information directly from AI. This leads to a loss of credibility for the media.”

Ijioma advised media platforms to clearly label AI-generated content and emphasized the importance of not over-relying on AI for content creation to minimize the spread of AI-generated misinformation.

“Good writers don’t need AI to help them write,” he asserted. “When using AI for research, cross-check the information using Google search, as AI can spread misinformation even in its results. This should be emphasized in every newsroom reporting sports.”

He also recommended that the media should focus on closing information gaps in their reportage.

“Be the reader too,” he said. “What is missing in this report that misinformation agents can exploit? Having a complete report to cover major parts of a sports event can help readers understand and not give room for false news purveyors to create content that answers readers’ questions.”

Regarding combating misinformation, Ijioma urged sports organizations to create official channels for regular updates, leverage social media to engage with fans and promote critical thinking. “Give your audience opportunities to reach out to you for clarifications; make them understand you’re closer to them,” he said.

Finally, he stressed the importance of collaboration between sports organizations and media outlets to address misinformation swiftly. “Work closely with media outlets and platforms to correct false information. Collaboration is key,” he concluded.

On his part, Phillip Anjorin, a fact-checker with Dubawa, warned that deepfakes pose a serious threat to the sports industry, particularly in Nigeria, where digital and media literacy levels remain low.

“When such fabricated videos go viral among content consumers who have limited appetite for verifying the information, it becomes challenging. It blurs the line between what is real and what isn’t. They believe false impressions, and spread misleading details that can devalue the athlete in question.”

He added that beyond affecting individual athletes, deepfakes could also tarnish the reputation of clubs and organizations, discouraging valuable players and staff from associating with them.

Anjorin emphasized that vigilance and scepticism are the first steps in combating deepfake-related misinformation urging sports fans to learn how to critically assess media content before accepting it as true.

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He advised people to look for inconsistencies in visuals, such as unnatural lighting, texture mismatches, and anomalies in facial movements. He also pointed out that audio mismatches can be a key indicator, as irregular synchronization or poor sound quality often expose manipulated content. Once people become familiar with these warning signs, he noted, detecting deepfakes becomes easier with the help of publicly available verification tools.

On minimizing the spread of AI-generated fake news in sports, Anjorin argued that multiple stakeholders—individuals, sports organizations, and tech companies—must play their part.

He encouraged individuals to verify questionable images and videos using tools like Google Images instead of accepting them at face value.

He also noted that sports organizations should adopt AI to monitor social media for misinformation and threats against players saying that technology companies, especially social media platforms must be more transparent about their AI tools and collaborate with fact-checkers to improve detection mechanisms.

“Sports clubs and organisations also have a part to play. They can use AI themselves to keep an eye on social media, to spot any dodgy stuff, and they should be open about how they use AI, especially when it’s making decisions,” he said.

“Campaigns to teach people about fake news and improve media literacy will go a long way,” he added, emphasizing the need for better public awareness.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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