--- title: "People Think the Hollywood Sign Is on Fire Because of AI Slop" description: "The iconic Hollywood sign adorning the hills behind West Hollywood has quickly become a particularly popular inspiration for AI slop." date: "2025-01-09" modified: "2025-01-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/hollywood-sign-fire-ai-slop" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "artificial intelligence" - "generative ai" - "los angeles" --- # People Think the Hollywood Sign Is on Fire Because of AI Slop ![The iconic Hollywood sign adorning the hills behind West Hollywood has quickly become a particularly popular inspiration for AI slop.]() *\Image: X\* Far-right hate speech incubator X is riddled with disinformation about the ongoing and devastating wildfires surrounding Los Angeles right now. The iconic Hollywood sign adorning the hills behind West Hollywood has quickly become a particularly popular inspiration for AI slop. A [quick search on X]() reveals numerous fictional images and even [videos]() showing the decades-old cultural icon up in flames. In reality, the [landmark remains unaffected by the fires](), with a wide freeway separating it from the still-burning Sunset Fire miles away — though the blaze *has* [engulfed more than 40 acres]() in the hills north of downtown LA. https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1877322068892483891 Other AI slop relating to the ongoing natural disaster is even more insidious. In an apparent effort to sow discord and score points with the platform's more gullible and potentially racist users, a user going by the name Kevin Dalton [shared an image]() of shadowy figures that seem to be looting the devastation of burning buildings. "The remains of Pacific Palisades will get picked clean tonight," Dalton wrote in the caption. That's a common refrain among far-right pundits, who sow fear by tapping into racial animosity by [baselessly accusing]() minorities of [ransacking businesses following natural disasters](). Except, in this case, the imagery is literally fake. "Is this a real photo or AI?" someone asked. "Grok... for now," Dalton [replied](). ![]() Understandably, the tasteless post drew the ire of other users on the platform. "I cannot describe how enraging and utterly despicable it is to see people spreading AI-generated images of the LA fires when everyone around you is terrified, devastated, and trying to find accurate information to keep themselves and their loved ones safe," *Wired* senior business editor Louise Matsakis [tweeted]() in response. Dalton has spent much of the last couple of days filling the platform with rage-inciting and -inducing posts about the ongoing situation, taking potshots at California governor Gavin Newsom and arguing that Trump should "[fire]()" him, which isn't something the US president can do. It's a firehose of disinformation, in other words. In one post, Dalton furthered [unsubstantiated conspiracy theories]() about a Newsom-affiliated arsonist being to blame for the blazes. It's far from the first time we've seen the spread of AI-generated content during or in the wake of a natural disaster. In October, an image depicting president-elect Donald Trump [wading through Hurricane Helene floodwaters]() went viral. Other sloppily AI-generated images of devastation following the historic storm [spread across a number of social media platforms](), including Facebook. Particularly following a chaotic presidential election, there are plenty of reasons to believe that natural disaster AI slop is here to stay. Platforms have made it as easy as possible not only to create but to spread these images. And now that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has chosen to closely [follow in the footsteps of X owner Elon Musk]() and [largely give up on content moderation](), there's more than just a chance we'll see plenty more disinformation being spread on social media in the future. It's a sad state of affairs, especially considering the real world of natural disasters. The wildfires the city of Los Angeles is currently battling have already [left a devastating path of destruction](). Preying on the victims by scoring cheap political points with AI-generated images isn't just tasteless**;** it's a worrying glimpse into the future of social media and how trust in the news cycle is being dismantled bit by bit. **More on the fires:** *[Cybertruck Owner Who Decried Taxes Mocked for Begging for Help as California Wildfire Threatens His Property]()* ## 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]()