An elderly couple in Malaysia travelled over 300 km from Kuala Lumpur to Perak to visit a cable car ride they saw in a viral video. However, what they did not realise was that it was fake and created using artificial intelligence (AI).
A hotel worker in Gerik, Perak, shared the story online, saying the couple genuinely believed the ride in Kuak Hulu existed. The woman explained they had made the long journey just for the cable car.
“They came to check into the hotel and asked if I had ridden the cable car at Kuak Hulu. I thought they were just kidding,” Singaporean daily The Straits Times quoted the worker as saying.
The video, originally posted on TikTok by kazam_zam, was nearly three minutes long and showed a fake news reporter introducing the ride and interviewing fake visitors. The AI-generated video also includes tourists from Thailand.
Baling District Officer Yazlan Sunardie Che Yahaya confirmed that the video was indeed fake. At the same time, he said the fake video was entertaining to watch.
“Of course, it doesn’t exist… but I admit, it was exciting to watch. We were entertained, even if it was just AI-generated content,” Sinar Harian quoted Yahaya as saying.
“Who knows, maybe one day it could become a reality. After all, Baling and Pengkalan Hulu do have mountains and scenic views that are suitable and beautiful,” he added.
While it may become a reality one day, it does not exist as of now. The viral video was actually AI-generated and completely fake.
The three-minute video shows a reporter from TV Rakyat, tourists from Thailand, a ticket counter and scenic shots of a cable car passing trees.
In one strange scene, an old woman does a handstand, and her body turns into a blob before returning to normal. It is a clear proof the video wasn’t real.
The hotel worker explained it to the elderly woman who had travelled over 300 km to visit the place. Shocked, the woman asked why anyone would lie, since it even showed a reporter.
The couple said that they had not verified it from their children as they were too embarrassed to do so.
She said she saw no comments calling the video fake and even wanted to sue the journalist. The hotel worker gently reminded her that the reporter was also AI-created and not a real person.
No official complaint
Meanwhile, no official complaint has been received, according to acting Baling police chief Ahmad Salimi Md Ali, who spoke to the New Straits Times.
“We advise the public not to fall for viral content without confirmation. In this era of AI-generated media, misleading materials can spread easily and cause confusion,” he said.