Well, it seems we’ve been taken for a ride with Toyota’s purported AI chatbot, Electra, and an alleged hacking incident. However, none of it was real, and it’s time for us to hold our hands up and admit our blunder in falling for this elaborate scheme, all cleverly crafted to cast a shadow on Toyota’s hybrid lineup and its EV strategy.
We had a few questions right from the start, so we reached out to both a Toyota spokesperson we’re acquainted with and the person listed as a contact on the supposed press release that was sent to us. Unfortunately, the first responder happened to be one of those hoaxsters, with whom we talked to over the phone.
However, as we delved into the details, such as the URL structure of the press release website – pressroom-toyota.com, rather than the usual pressroom.toyota.com, as well as the Electra site itself (at electrified-toyota.com), something felt amiss. Oops, indeed.
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Eventually, a real Toyota representative did contact us to address our concerns and ultimately confirm it was all “a very elaborate hoax”, but unfortunately, it was after we had already shared those stories about the fictitious Electra AI. We’ll have to hang our heads a bit on this one, as we fell victim to quite an intricate ruse.
More: Toyota Throws Gasoline On ICE vs EV Debate, Why Go All Electric When We Can Do Both?
Evidently, it seems the warriors behind this charade aren’t stopping there. Besides dispatching cloaked press emails and creating spoof websites, they’ve taken it up a notch with an obviously staged video from a supposed Toyota conference at the Washington Auto Show. It’s replete with actors, or at least individuals affiliated with the same group orchestrating this attack on Toyota’s EV strategy. In this dramatic performance, the AI Chatbot presentation goes hilariously awry, with one of the speakers even collapsing.
They’re even opening several threads on social media sites, including Reddit, to get the word around. Well, if anything, we have to admit, they’re a pretty dedicated and creative bunch.
We reached out to Toyota for a comment on the ongoing Electra AI shenanigans, but they informed us that they have “nothing more to add at this time”.
As for who might be behind this, it increasingly looks like it could be an activist group. The campaign against Toyota bears many similarities to the ‘EcoWarrior’ Barbie hoax against Mattel last August, organized by the”Barbie Liberation Organization” (BLO). That campaign managed to deceive several media outlets, employing a similar strategy with fake press releases, fabricated media websites, and even an advertisement featuring actor and environmental activist Daryl Hannah.
According to a report from The Cut, the BLO “is an offshoot of political activist group the Yes Men, founded by Igor Vamos and Jacques Servin (also known by their respective alter egos Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum). Active since 2002, the pair are known for organizing elaborate pranks against political figures and corporate entities, including George W. Bush, ExxonMobil, and the World Trade Organization, to name a few”.
We’ll continue our investigation and update our report if we uncover more details.
It’s indeed a wild ride in the fast-paced world of news, and we’re here to learn from our mistakes. We promise to be way more diligent next time, but hey, let’s be honest – who doesn’t appreciate a bit of theatrical intrigue every now and then?
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