In researching AI experts, I came across a deepfake. It wasn’t obvious at first, given his seemingly legit profile and engagement on social networks. Yet after seeing the same creepy AI-generated photo of Dr. Lance B. Eliot all over the web, it was clear that he wasn’t a real person. So I followed him and learned his grift.

The ubiquitous Dr. Lance B. Eliot

Eliot has over 11,000 followers on LinkedIn and we have two connections in common. Both have thousands of LinkedIn followers and decades of experience in AI with roles spanning investor, analyst, keynote, columnist and CEO. LinkedIn members engage with Eliot even though all his posts are repetitive thread-jacking that lead to his many Forbes articles.

On Forbes, Eliot publishes every one to three days with nearly identical headlines. After reading a few articles, it’s obvious the content is AI-generated tech jargon. One of the biggest issues with Eliot’s extensive Forbes portfolio is that the site limits readers to five free stories a month until they are directed to purchase a $6.99-a-month or $74.99-a-year subscription. This gets complicated now that Forbes has officially put itself up for sale with a price tag in the neighborhood of $800 million. 

Eliot’s content is also available beh...