One America News (OAN), a conservative cable channel often favored by President Trump and his supporters, is facing criticism after airing AI-generated images of female soldiers during a segment praising an alleged surge in women joining the US military.
The incident happened last Wednesday evening when host Matt Gaetz interviewed Defense Department spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson. As Wilson spoke about what she called a “fantastic” increase in female recruitment, four images of women in combat uniforms appeared on-screen. But the women in those pictures were not real soldiers; they were created by artificial intelligence.
The fake images were identified by watermarks in the corners, showing Grok had generated them.
“These numbers are fantastic,” Wilson told Gaetz during the broadcast. “Under the previous administration, we had about 16,000 female recruits last year; now we’ve got upwards of 24,000. It is a testament to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump’s leadership.”
OAN admits mistake, Gaetz apologizes
After questions were raised about the images, OAN admitted the mistake and said the use of the AI-generated photos went against company rules.
“The images violated company policies, which have been re-enforced with all staff,” an OAN spokesperson told CNN. “An on-air correction has been put in place. Management has taken additional actions to ensure the issue is appropriately addressed.”
On Thursday night, Gaetz issued an apology live on air.
“We made a mistake,” Gaetz said. “We used AI-generated images of female service members as part of our B-roll package, and we shouldn’t have. The DOD didn’t give us these images; Grok did. And we’ll use better judgment going forward.”
He also attempted to explain why his show sometimes avoids using real images of service members: “We’re generally quite cautious about showing the faces of actual military members on air because sometimes America’s enemies use facial recognition software in very devious ways.”
AI misuse in media
The controversy adds to a growing list of problems involving artificial intelligence in journalism. Other media figures, including Jim Acosta and Chris Cuomo, have also recently faced criticism for using or falling for AI-generated content in their reporting.
For OAN, the scandal comes at a particularly vulnerable moment. The network, once a powerhouse for Trump-aligned viewers, has seen its influence wane after being dropped by DirecTV and other major carriers. Already burdened by lawsuits over election misinformation, this latest blunder further damages its credibility.
Grok Imagine’s Spicy Setting recently produced explicit AI celebrity videos featuring Taylor Swift and Timothée Chalamet, for example.