Crosswalk Buttons in California Cities Hacked with AI-Generated Voices
Hack Affects Multiple Cities
Crosswalk buttons in at least three California cities, Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Menlo Park, appear to have been hacked this weekend to give them seemingly AI-generated voices of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In videos posted online, the apparent voice of Musk begs listeners to be his friend, while the voice of Zuckerberg brags about "undermining democracy" and "cooking our grandparents’ brains with AI slop."
Palo Alto Affected
A Palo Alto city spokesperson told Palo Alto Online that city employees "determined that 12 downtown intersections were impacted" and have disabled the crosswalks’ voice features pending repairs. The signals otherwise work as they should, they told the outlet. The hack seemed to have taken place on Friday, the person said.
Redwood City and Menlo Park Also Affected
The same thing is happening in Redwood City, where a deputy city manager told The San Francisco Chronicle that the city is investigating and attempting to resolve the issue there. Crosswalk buttons in Menlo Park are also reportedly affected.
How the Hack Works
The voice features of these buttons are used to guide people with difficulty seeing, letting them know when to "wait" and when the walk sign on the other end of the street has turned on. It’s hard to tell how much, if at all, the simulated voices interfere with that, but they seem to be playing in addition to, rather than instead of the built-in safety notices, at least in some videos of the phenomenon.
Videos with Simulated Voices
Here are some videos with the simulated voice of Musk, along with my transcriptions below each:
- Hi, this is Elon Musk, and I’d like to personally welcome you to Palo Alto. You know, people keep saying, ‘cancer is bad,’ but have you ever tried being a cancer? It’s fucking awesome.
- Hi, this is Elon Musk. Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla engineering. You know, they say money can’t buy happiness, and yeah, okay, I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that’s pretty sick, right? Right? Fuck, I’m so alone.
- Hi, I’m Elon. Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I’ll give you a Cybertruck, I promise. Okay, look, you don’t know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval.
Another Video Features a Soundalike of President Donald Trump
One had a guest spot from a soundalike of President Donald Trump, clearly making light of Musk’s close association with Trump:
- Not Musk: You know, it’s funny, I used to think he was just this dumb sack of shit. But once you get to know him, he’s actually pretty sweet and tender and loving.
- Not Trump: Sweetie, come back to bed.
Simulated Zuckerberg Voice Messages
One video published by Palo Alto Online featured this quote, spoken by a faked Zuckerberg’s voice:
- Hey, it’s Zuck here. I just want to tell you how very proud I am of everything we’ve been building together. From undermining democracy to cooking our grandparents’ brains with AI slop, to — to making the world less safe for trans people. Nobody does it better than us, and, uh, and I think that’s pretty neat. Zuck out!
Conclusion
The hack seems to be a prank gone wrong, with the simulated voices playing in addition to the built-in safety notices. While it may be amusing to some, it’s unclear how much, if at all, the simulated voices interfere with the intended purpose of the crosswalk buttons.
FAQs
Q: What cities are affected by the hack?
A: At least three California cities, Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Menlo Park, are affected.
Q: Who is behind the hack?
A: The identity of the hacker is unknown.
Q: How did the hack happen?
A: It’s unclear how the hack occurred, but it’s believed to be a prank gone wrong.
Q: Will the hack be resolved?
A: The cities affected are working to resolve the issue, with Palo Alto already disabling the voice features pending repairs.
