More details have emerged about how anonymous hackers in Silicon Valley were able to reprogram crosswalk signals in various locations to say prank messages in the voices of tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
An investigation by the Palo Alto Daily Post, revealed that the Caltrans system was hacked because the company did not change the passwords on the crosswalk system, despite being advised to by the manufacturers.
Video circulated online in April showed the tongue-in-cheek, and apparently AI-generated prank messages being played after pedestrians pushed the buttons to cross the road in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto, in the Bay Area.
“Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck,” one crosswalk message said.
The voice then added: “You know, 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. Anyway, see ya.”
The AI-generated Musk can be heard asking if people will be his friend and promising to give them one of his Tesla Cybertrucks in return.
“They say money can’t buy happiness. I guess that’s true. God knows, I’ve tried, but it can buy a cyber truck, and that’s pretty sick, right? F*** I’m so loaded,” the voice said.
It is still unclear what the motive behind the prank was, though similar incidents took place in Seattle, where crosswalks sounds were replaced with AI-messages from Jeff Bezos.
“Hi, I’m Jeff Bezos, this crosswalk is sponsored by Amazon Prime with an important message. Please don’t tax the rich. Otherwise, all the other billionaires will move to Florida too,” the voice said, per ABC News.
Ahmad Banafa, tech expert at San Jose State University told NBC Bay Area that far from being a technological issue, the stunt was the result of basic human error.
“This is not a high tech hacking,” he told the outlet. “This is basically a hacking because somebody left the door open. That’s how I look at it.”
He added: “The weakest link in any cyber security, in the system, in any computer network in the world, is the human.”
The Independent has contacted Caltrans for comment over the security breach.
City officials were quick to act when the messages were first discovered, shutting off all sound at the affected crosswalks in Palo Alto within days.
At the time, spokesperson Meghan Horrigan-Taylor told Palo Alto Online that it had been determined that 12 downtown intersections had been impacted and subsequently had the voice feature disabled.
“Other traffic signals in the City were checked and the impact is isolated,” Horrigan-Taylor said. “Signal operations are otherwise unaffected, and motorists are reminded to always exercise caution around pedestrians.”
