--- title: "Moon Denialists Are So Pathetic That They’re Using AI to Fake Artemis Footage" description: "Denialists are ironically pointing to faked, AI-generated footage as \"proof\" that NASA had staged its latest trip around the Moon." date: "2026-04-13" modified: "2026-04-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/moon-denialists-ai-fake-artemis-footage" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # Moon Denialists Are So Pathetic That They’re Using AI to Fake Artemis Footage ![Denialists are ironically pointing to faked, AI-generated footage as "proof" that NASA had staged its latest trip around the Moon.]() *gabefacts187 via TikTok* For [many decades](), conspiracy theorists have attempted to argue that NASA's missions to the lunar surface were somehow faked — and the space agency's [latest trip around the Moon and back]() is no different. Except this time, the widespread proliferation of AI slop is supercharging the trend, with denialists pointing to faked, AI-generated footage as "proof" of their claims with no apparent sense of irony. One particularly sticky video shows the crew of four astronauts hanging by harnesses in front of a large green screen. As [*France 24* points out](), it doesn't take much analysis to conclude that it's AI slop, from glitching overlaid text that interferes with the floating Artemis mascot in the shot to missing limbs and the wrong number of fingers on some of their hands. Why anybody who actually believed NASA had faked its lunar flyby would choose to AI generate footage as counterevidence is a question worth asking. Is it a believer so die-hard that they're willing to use fake evidence to convince others of their cracked worldview — or is a troll getting a kick out of fooling gullible conspiracy theorists on social media? If there's one certainty, it's that prevalent AI slop could further entrench belief in idiotic conspiracy theories, once again highlighting the dangers of the tech and how it's [continuing to undermine the validity]() of the information we encounter online — and consequently, the very concept of truth itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mJhY5zVo2s More AI-generated footage [identified by the *CBC*]() shows a fake shot of the interior of the spacecraft, which pans from the four astronauts to a view of the Earth outside a small window — leading to the obvious question of who could've been recording the clip. Disinformation expert Tal Hagin [found]() that the footage was likely "an AI-spliced video using two different images," including a "screenshot of the Artemis II crew waving" and an "image taken of Earth from one of the windows." "AI was used to connect the two," Hagin concluded. The sheer scale of the trend is troubling. A [simple search]() for the term "Artemis leaks" on Elon Musk's X-formerly-Twitter — a platform that has long been plagued by a largely unmoderated mountain of AI slop and disinformation — reveals how widespread the trend is, from [generated footage]() of a fake Moon being hung in front of a green screen to [brainrot claims]() that NASA had used "AI and CGI and green screens." The situation doesn't look much better on Facebook, with "flat earth" accounts pointing to previously generated AI slop to [argue]() that NASA had used "CGI to fake a space mission." In short, the situation is painful to witness: people so convinced of a false reality that they're willing to fake evidence to support it. **More on the Moon:** [*Lone Jar of Nutella Drifts Around Cabin of Moon Spacecraft*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()