AI-generated videos of a supposed America’s Got Talent contestant have been going viral online recently, and the clips are fooling some fans into thinking Michael Bennett is a real singer who auditioned for the show.
According to Forbes, videos of an aging rock performer named Michael Bennett auditioning for America’s Got Talent have been making the rounds online. The clips show Bennett tearfully performing songs such as “When I’m Gone,” “The Weight of Waiting,” and “After I Pass Away.”
Although it might be obvious to some viewers that Bennett isn’t a real singer, and the overly emotional reactions from judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara aren’t genuine, the videos seem to be fooling some fans, as they rack up hundreds of thousands of views. In actuality, the clips are entirely AI-generated.
A spokesperson for Fremantle, the company behind America’s Got Talent, confirmed to Forbes that the show has not featured a contestant named Michael Bennett, and the videos going viral do not feature real footage from the competition. Some clips have even been removed.
However, there are still some videos to be found on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, prompting positive feedback from people who have been fooled. As one user reportedly wrote, “I am his fan for life. Wow, so powerful and passionate.”
The AI-generated singer Michael Bennett also has a made-up backstory to make his fake America’s Got Talent performances even more emotional. According to Forbes, Bennett is “a formerly homeless 65-year-old who found music through prayer and hopes his songs will one day reach his long-lost child.”
His songs have also shown up on platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, although the artist is apparently credited as Lantern Ash. It’s unclear who created Bennett in the first place. Some videos include disclaimers informing viewers that the content is AI-generated.
What do you think about these AI-generated audition videos? Why do you think people are so easily fooled by them? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
