Silicon Valley Crosswalks Hacked to Broadcast Celebrity Voices

Recently, a series of videos surfaced online showcasing crosswalk signals in Silicon Valley that have been hijacked to play messages in the voices of renowned tech figures, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

What Are Pedestrians Hearing?

Footage shared by Bulou Varanisese on Instagram reveals a crosswalk in Palo Alto, California, using an impression of Musk’s voice. The announcement begins with:

“Hi, this is Elon Musk, welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla engineering. You know, they say money can’t buy happiness and… I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck and that’s pretty sick right? F*** I’m so alone.”

In another instance, a separate video reportedly derived from the Palo Alto area features a manipulated crosswalk issuing remarks in Zuckerberg’s voice:

“It’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don’t need to worry because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.”

The Extent of the Hack

According to The Los Angeles Times, local officials have pinpointed at least four crosswalks in Redwood City that have been compromised. Menlo Park representatives noted ongoing discussions regarding a similar hacking incident involving a crosswalk located near the Meta campus.

A spokesperson from the City of Palo Alto provided additional context, indicating that a crosswalk’s voice announcement feature at one intersection was found to be malfunctioning. Following further investigation, it was uncovered that 12 downtown intersections were experiencing similar issues, suggesting potential tampering :

“It was later determined that tampering may have occurred on Friday,” reported the spokesperson.

Investigation Status

As of now, the identities of those responsible for the crosswalk hacking remain unclear. Local authorities are conducting thorough investigations across affected areas to understand the method and motivation behind this unusual act.