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Dolly Parton's sister pleads for an end to 'AI garbage' after singer's death

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Stella Parton urged fans to stop sharing fake AI-generated posts after the death of her sister, country singer Dolly Parton.
  • She said the volume of AI content and other material exploiting the family's loss had been difficult to absorb.
  • AI-generated tributes presented as involving Miley Cyrus, Pink and Celine Dion have circulated online, while Parton had previously warned that AI replacing humans frightened her.

Stella Parton has asked fans to stop posting what she called “fake AI garbage” after the death of her sister, country music star Dolly Parton.

fake AI garbage

· Stella PartonShe used the phrase while urging fans to stop sharing fabricated AI content after Dolly Parton's death.

Writing on Instagram, Stella thanked people who had offered genuine support to the singer and her family. She said the flood of AI material and other posts had been difficult to absorb and urged people to show more compassion when responding to Dolly Parton's death.

“Sadly, because of the way our lives have been lived in front of the public, we have no choice but to be subjected to incredible pressure and insensitivity from strangers,” she wrote. She warned that people who exploited loss and tragedy would eventually move on to another wave of misinformation. Stella also asked fans to look to her sister's life as an example of tolerance and mutual respect.

more compassion

· Stella PartonShe asked people to respond to her sister's death with greater compassion.

The posts appeared alongside tributes to Dolly Parton, who died on August 25 aged 80. One image shared on Instagram and X, and criticized as an AI fake, showed the singer without makeup or a wig. A YouTube video presented as a fan-made tribute by Miley Cyrus had received more than 1.5 million views. It carried an AI label and a disclaimer saying it was not an official release by Cyrus or Parton's representatives, although many viewers thanked Cyrus for the tribute.

It's not about the most clever comments, fake AI garbage or snarky tweets.

· Stella PartonShe criticized online reactions that focused on attention-seeking posts rather than respectful mourning.

Other AI-generated tributes in the style of Pink and Celine Dion also drew large audiences. Dolly Parton herself had discussed AI with The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, saying it could benefit science and medicine but that the idea of it replacing humans scared her. “That's like the mark of the beast. It's like you can't remake a person,” she said.

That's like the mark of the beast. It's like you can't remake a person.

· Dolly PartonShe described her concern about AI replacing human artists in a 2023 interview.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.