Amid Backlash, Creator of Viral GTA 6 Gameplay 'Leak' Video Insists It Was an 'Experiment' Designed to Show 'How Easy It Has Become to Blur the Line Between Reality and AI-Generated Content'

The idiosyncratic down the viral GTA 6 gameplay “leak” video has admitted it was created utilizing generative AI, amid a increasing backlash from fans.

IGN had reported connected X / Twitter posts made by the Zap Actu GTA6 account, which included "leaked" gameplay clips of GTA 6 portion pointing to a Discord. One video posted earlier this week — present deleted — showed playable quality Lucia walking successful the rain. It went viral, securing 8 cardinal views successful conscionable implicit 24 hours contempt a assemblage enactment informing against trusting it arsenic authoritative footage from Rockstar. But determination were galore different akin clips, besides with millions of impressions, from the aforesaid account, and based connected the replies, a fig of radical believed they featured genuine leaked gameplay footage.

In Zap Actu GTA6’s Discord, a increasing backlash emerged contiguous arsenic newcomers flooded successful to question clarity connected whether these were genuine leaks of AI-generated videos.

Now, ZapActu has travel clean, issuing a connection and responding to questions from IGN. They insisted the videos were designed to “observe people’s reactions and to show however casual it has go successful 2025 to blur the enactment betwixt world and AI-generated content.” ZapActu apologized “to anyone who felt frustrated, disappointed, oregon misled by these posts.” They continued: “This was ne'er done with atrocious intentions.”

ZapActu said they did not marque immoderate wealth from the posts, nor was determination a fiscal motive down “this experiment.” ZapActu is present successful the process of deleting posts and closing accounts.

“My volition was ne'er to harm anyone,” they continued. “I simply wanted to make thing intriguing that could bring radical unneurotic and spark treatment wrong the GTA 6 community. I genuinely ne'er expected a azygous video to make specified monolithic engagement and reach.”

And, successful a nonstop connection to IGN, they concluded: “It was a immense gag actually, I did it conscionable to entertain the community. Sorry for the mendacious anticipation lol.”

Misleading videos made by generative AI person exploded connected the net successful caller years arsenic the exertion has go much fashionable and accessible. And it is simply a occupation that affects each entertainment. Last month, IGN reported connected physicist Brian Cox, who went nationalist with complaints astir YouTube accounts that had utilized AI to make deepfakes of him saying “nonsense” astir comet 3I/ATLAS. Similarly, Keanu Reeves precocious deed retired astatine AI deepfakes of the John Wick prima selling products without his permission, insisting "it's not a batch of fun." In July, it was reported that Reeves pays a institution a fewer 1000 dollars a period to get the likes of TikTok and Meta to instrumentality down imitators.

Can thing meaningful beryllium done? Last month, the Japanese authorities made a ceremonial petition asking OpenAI to refrain from copyright infringement aft Sora 2 users generated videos featuring the likenesses of copyrighted characters from anime and video games. Sora 2, which OpenAI launched connected October 1, is susceptible of generating 20-second agelong videos astatine 1080p resolution, implicit with sound. Soon aft its release, societal media was flooded with videos generated by the app, galore of which contained depictions of copyrighted characters including those from fashionable anime and crippled franchises specified arsenic One Piece, Demon Slayer, Pokémon, and Mario. Despite the protestations of the Japanese, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared Sora 2 videos utilizing copyrighted characters "interactive instrumentality fiction."

As for GTA 6, fixed the crippled isn't owed retired for different 12 months, expect more, progressively convincing AI-generated gameplay "leaks" to deed the net arsenic fans hopeless for authoritative accusation from Rockstar - and, hopefully, Trailer 3 - hold on.

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Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].