Happy Wednesday! Welcome to the Legacy Library Newsletter.
Let’s get right to business. Most, if not all of us, are familiar with how people have mastered using artificial intelligence to clone people, whether it’s their voices or their entire body. I saw an AI clip on Twitter/X of the person in that viral video who was arrested at UCF during a public meltdown. I’m not sure if the full interaction had been online for a full 24 hours yet. I watched the bodycam Sunday night on YouTube and was surprised to see it all over my timeline yesterday.
So if someone can make an AI video of that person, how long before they do it with recruiting?
Now you might think, who would do that for a high school athlete? And to that I say, have you looked at social media lately? Or anytime in the last 15 years?
Here’s another question: How long before FanDuel or Hard Rock finds a way to offer odds on where a 5-star prospect will commit? We’ve already seen prospects make preseason commitments on national television, as Monshun Sales did on Pat McAfee last week. And even if there are regulatory rules preventing the sportsbooks from doing it, what about prediction markets?
We often see Rivals and 247 Sports make their predictions with a percentage, and their analysts are tapped in with sources nationwide. So if 247 Sports gives a 4-star quarterback an 85% chance to commit to Alabama over LSU and Michigan, why wouldn’t a prediction market put that up there with Alabama being the heavy favorite?
So if and when that happens, there is easily a chance that someone could have the AI software create a video of Florida high school prospect John Smith say he’s actually picking LSU over Alabama. And then what happens? Aggregators might think it’s real, so they’ll amplify it. The tweets will go viral, and there’ll be a mad dash to confirm it. And by the time we find out that he still hasn’t committed, the damage might be done.
I admittedly haven’t studied the specific coding and things like that on how to clone someone’s voice. I would imagine, though, that a video of an interview that a journalist did with that quarterback at a 7-on-7 camp would provide them enough content to use as a base for the AI software. And you already have what they look like because of that video.
The worst will be when people start regularly using AI for high school and college athletes doing fake press conferences or postgame interviews. What’s stopping a Michigan State fan from creating an AI-generated video of Bryce Underwood after the Wolverines win another Paul Bunyan Trophy? The eventual statement from whoever runs Michigan’s social media accounts won’t matter when it’s already viral.
What can you do? Probably nothing.
It sounds crazy. Welcome to the future.
On that note, here are some of our recent stories:
- Saint Joe (Ind.) Guard Elijah King Has Mastered the Best Way to Stand Out
- Rangeview (Colo.) Lineman Biram Griffey Is Drawing Attention on All Sides
- Ja’Vin Simpkins Ready to Shine at UAB After Bold Transfer Portal Decision
- From Championship-Winning Quarterback to Union Man, Daniel Parr Remains Grateful for the Journey
Former Florida Atlantic running back Gerald Hearns will be the first guest on the “Legacy Library Podcast.” Gerald will talk about his FAU days, his new project “Hearns Hub,” and so much more.
Check out my recent conversation with Gerald.
Talk to you all on Friday!
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