AI Deepfakes Target Physicists To Spread Comet Conspiracy Theories

Key takeaways

Physicist Michio Kaku has issued an urgent warning about a wave of AI-generated deepfake videos exploiting his image and voice to spread misinformation about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.

The sophisticated fakes manipulate legitimate interviews Kaku gave about the comet, escalating his measured scientific speculation into definitive claims about extraterrestrial visitors and government cover-ups.

Kaku took to social media to alert the public about the fraudulent content. In a statement, he warned about a sudden rise of unauthorized deepfake AI videos impersonating him and misleading the public with false claims that are not his own.

The deepfakes distort Kaku's actual position on 3I/ATLAS, which NASA tracks as the third object ever detected from outside our solar system.

In his real Newsmax interview, Kaku presented two balanced scientific perspectives on the comet. He explained that if the object picks up extra energy during its solar flyby, that could indicate something unusual, but he did not make the definitive claims about alien technology that appear in the deepfake videos.

Platform response criticized as inadequate

Brian Cox, a Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester and a prominent science communicator, is experiencing similar deepfake exploitation.

Cox voiced his frustrations on social media about the misleading AI-generated videos circulating on YouTube.

Cox emphasized that any video depicting him supporting theories about UFOs, flat Earth, or the comet being a spaceship is fabricated. In a blunt message to his followers, he stated that if he appears to say something in agreement with conspiracy theories about comet 3I/ATLAS being a spaceship, it's fake.

Cox reported seeing AI deepfakes of himself pushing similar misinformation on YouTube and criticized the platform's slow response.

He noted that YouTube has removed some of the more prominent fake accounts impersonating him, but expressed concerns about long-term solutions.

Cox pointed out that while false narratives about comets may seem trivial, deepfakes have profound implications in other areas of science and certainly in politics.

Timing coincides with the comet's solar approach

The deepfake campaign's timing is particularly significant, as it coincided with 3I/ATLAS reaching perihelion on October 29-30, 2025—its closest point to the Sun.

This is when observers were monitoring for any trajectory changes that could indicate artificial propulsion, making the period ripe for speculation and misinformation.

The comet was discovered on July 1, 2025, and is one of only three known interstellar comets to have passed through our Solar System.

It doesn't orbit the Sun and is estimated to be over 7 billion years old, twice as old as Earth. NASA has confirmed the comet poses no danger to Earth, with its closest approach being about 270 million kilometers away.

Calls for stronger action against AI abuse

Both scientists are calling on platforms and AI developers to take stronger action against these abuses of deepfake technology.

The incident highlights how deepfake technology can weaponize scientific credibility to spread misinformation about legitimate astronomical research.

Cox expressed uncertainty about long-term solutions to the deepfake problem, acknowledging that while misinformation about a comet may not seem critical, the technology's implications for other areas of science and politics are clearly important.

The broader issue raises questions about how society will address the growing threat of AI-generated misinformation and protect public trust in scientific communication.

Theoretical physicist Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer, has been advocating for the alien spacecraft hypothesis regarding 3I/ATLAS, despite evidence that it ejects water vapor like a comet.

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