The Emily Hart Saga, Part 2: The AI Thirst Trap Grift

Emily Hart, the bikini-wearing right-wing AI influencer, had captured the hearts, minds and more of MAGA men online. But her creator, Sam, had grown sick of the creepy messages and unsolicited explicit photos he’d received from Emily’s adoring fans. And he was about to be outed as a “scammer.” In this follow-up to last week’s episode, we dig into the downfall of the MAGA dream girl, the explosion of AI “thirst” grifts and why Sam says he shouldn’t be labeled as a “scammer” at all.

Guests:

Ej Dickson, senior culture writer at Wired

“Sam,” creator of AI MAGA Influencer Emily Hart

Further Reading/Listening:

This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift ‘Super Dumb’ Men — Ej Dickson, Wired 

Goose, a New Gay Dating App, Appears to Be a Psyop — Ej Dickson, Wired

How India's Cyber Scam Industry Causes Global Havoc — Hanan Zaffar, Inkstick

Inside the Booming ‘AI Pimping’ Industry — Jason Koebler and Emanuel Maiberg, Wired

Delays in Visa Program Threaten Placement of Hundreds of Doctors in Underserved Areas — Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News 

White House Wants More Doctors But Its Immigration Policies Block Them — Stuart Anderson, Forbes

Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at U.S. hospitals, but many now face visa issues — Adithi Ramakrishnan and Devi Shastri, PBS News