Over the weekend, Silicon Valley pedestrians encountered unexpected audio messages from crosswalk speakers, featuring deepfake recordings that mocked tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. The hacked crosswalks in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City played satirical monologues instead of the usual pedestrian instructions.
Viral videos on social media captured the altered crosswalks, where voices resembling Musk and Zuckerberg delivered humorous critiques of tech culture and corporate influence. In one clip, a voice mimicking Zuckerberg’s said, “Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck,” followed by a satirical comment on AI’s pervasive role in daily life. Meanwhile, Musk’s voice humorously lamented loneliness despite wealth, saying, “Money can’t buy happiness… But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that’s pretty sick, right?”
City officials have since disabled the unauthorized messages and are investigating the breach. According to the Los Angeles Times, the hack affected Caltrans-operated signals near the Meta campus in Menlo Park. SFGate reports that up to 12 intersections in Palo Alto were compromised.
The identity of the hackers remains unknown, but the incident highlights vulnerabilities in public infrastructure. PCMag notes that the equipment may have been accessed through a default password, underscoring the need for improved security measures. Authorities are working to prevent future breaches and remind the public that tampering with city infrastructure is illegal and poses safety risks.
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