Facebook pages, masquerading as trustworthy news sources, are actively employing artificial intelligence to fabricate hundreds of deceptive articles, often accompanied by expertly edited and lifelike images. These pages frequently amass tens of thousands of followers, primarily targeting celebrities and prominent individuals. Investigations by the Manchester Evening News have revealed a concerning rise in online rumors and manufactured narratives specifically aimed at high-profile figures, their families, and even young children. Doctored AI images are a key component, fueling viral and disturbingly believable misinformation across various social media platforms, leading to thousands of shares, likes, and comments.

These deceptive pages strategically use phrases like 'verified information' and 'just confirmed' to bolster their facade of credibility. One stark example uncovered by the Manchester Evening News involved a page with 42,000 followers, which shared an AI-generated image of a well-known TV presenter with a bald head, accompanied by the caption: 'Final Days of a Beloved Icon.' This post falsely implied she was terminally ill with cancer, a claim that was entirely unconfirmed and untrue.

Another page dedicated its content to Manchester City FC players, boasting 65,000 followers. This page disseminated false posts concerning private and unconfirmed family matters, including a fabricated 'health battle' involving a player's three-year-old daughter, a false report of a player's unborn child loss, and a purported 'top secret shock medical examination' involving another player. Social media experts describe this phenomenon as a crisis that 'exploits trust and emotion on a major scale,' heavily amplified by algorithms.

Hannah O'Donoghue-Hobbs, founder of the January 92 social media consultancy firm based in Manchester, emphasizes that these Facebook pages are deliberately crafted to appear credible, but their ultimate effect is significant 'reputational and emotional damage.' To identify such fake pages, she advises checking the page's history, follower count, posting patterns, and cross-referencing stories with reputable news outlets.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has stated its commitment to 'fighting the spread of false information' and is implementing changes to how manipulated media is handled online. The platform announced it would add 'AI info' labels to video, audio, and image content. These labels will appear when industry-standard AI image indicators are detected, or when users voluntarily disclose that they are uploading AI-generated content, in an effort to combat the 'irreversible' damage caused by fake news and algorithms on social media.