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Guide

Fake AI talent-show videos: AGT and American Idol

Viral clips of unknown singers making talent-show judges cry are often AI-made or edited. How they work, what the show said, and how to check a clip.

By the WhoSung desk · published Oct 23, 2026 · updated Oct 23, 2026

Many viral “audition” clips of unknown singers moving the judges to tears never aired. In the best-documented case, the company behind America’s Got Talent confirmed the video was AI-generated, and a copyright claim by the company later removed it (Forbes).

The “Michael Bennett” videos

In early 2026, clips spread of a tattooed 65-year-old rocker called Michael Bennett singing ballads to an estranged son on AGT. A Fremantle spokesperson told Forbes the company was not familiar with any contestant by that name and “confirmed that the video is AI-generated and not real footage from the talent contest”. The clip Forbes wrote about was removed after “a copyright claim by Fremantle - America’s Got Talent” (Forbes). Talent Recap also reported the clips as AI-generated and said some were still on TikTok and YouTube (Talent Recap).

Fremantle says it reviews each case and works to get such videos removed to protect the show’s brand. Who created the character is unknown (Forbes).

How these videos are put together

From the cases fact-checkers have taken apart, the pattern looks like this:

  • A sad backstory. The Bennett character was presented as formerly homeless, a man who found music through prayer and hopes his songs reach his lost child (Forbes).
  • Real show footage cut in. In clips of another singer, Snopes traced a Simon Cowell reaction shot to a real 2026 AGT audition and a Tyra Banks shot to a 2018 episode. The singer appeared to be placed over the footage with a green screen. Snopes rated the claim that the clips show real AGT appearances “Fake” (Snopes).
  • Judges who were never on the same panel. The same clip reused footage of Sofía Vergara and Tyra Banks, who were never on the show at the same time; neither has any connection to the fake singer (Snopes). Talent Recap advises: “if you see Amanda Holden on anything labelled AGT, know that it’s AI” (Talent Recap).
  • The music shows up on streaming under another name. Forbes found a 25-track album of the Bennett songs on Apple Music, Spotify and other services, credited to “Lantern Ash” (Forbes).
  • A disclaimer nobody reads. Some uploads carry a note in the description, for example: “This video presents a virtual avatar created exclusively for entertainment purposes” (Forbes).

Chart acts use the format too. Our River Cain page records Spotify’s “Likely AI Persona” badge on that profile (checked Oct 23, 2026). The AI Musicpreneur reports that the AGT clips posted under the River Cain name are fabricated and that no such audition took place (The AI Musicpreneur).

What about American Idol?

As of Oct 23, 2026, we found no statement from American Idol or ABC about AI-made audition clips, and no fact check from a major outlet that names a fake Idol contestant. Without that, we don’t name anyone. The checks below work for any show.

What YouTube requires

YouTube requires creators to disclose realistic AI content, including content that “generates a realistic scene that didn’t actually occur” and AI music that is the main focus of a video. Disclosed videos get a label, shown on the player for music and photorealistic content. YouTube can also add the label itself, and creators who keep failing to disclose can lose videos or be suspended from the YouTube Partner Program (YouTube Help). A missing label does not prove a clip is real.

How to check a clip

  1. Search the show’s official channel. Snopes searched the official AGT and The Voice YouTube channels for the singer and found nothing (Snopes). If a clip of a “viral” audition is not on the show’s own channel, treat it with suspicion.
  2. Check the judges against the season. NBC lists every AGT panel. Heidi Klum and Sofía Vergara judged together in seasons 15 to 19. Tyra Banks hosted seasons 12 and 13 (NBC).
  3. Watch the faces. In the Bennett clips a tear stayed frozen on his cheek, his nose changed shape from video to video, and the audience sobbed before he started singing (Forbes). Jittery or inconsistent movement is another sign (Talent Recap).
  4. Look at the edges. Lighting that doesn’t match between singer and stage, or a green fringe around the neck, points to a green screen (Snopes).
  5. Reverse-search a judge’s reaction shot. That is how Snopes found the original episodes (Snopes).
  6. Read the description and look for the AI label (YouTube Help).

The song can still be real music

A fake audition says nothing certain about the audio. In the Snopes case, Shazam matched the song to a release by a different creator, who told Snopes he sang it himself and that others had posted AI-made duplicates; Snopes could not verify where the song came from (Snopes). For the song itself, use how to tell if a song is AI. Our methodology explains when we call an artist AI and when we say “unconfirmed”.

Artists in this guide

Sources

  1. Forbes: 'America's Got Talent' fans fooled by AI-generated contestant's sob story checked Oct 23, 2026
  2. Talent Recap: AI-generated 'America's Got Talent' audition goes viral checked Oct 23, 2026
  3. Snopes: Do videos show a singer on 'America's Got Talent'? checked Oct 23, 2026
  4. Talent Recap: AI 'AGT' clips, how to tell what's real checked Oct 23, 2026
  5. NBC: Every judge and host on America's Got Talent checked Oct 23, 2026
  6. YouTube Help: Disclosing use of GenAI content checked Oct 23, 2026
  7. The AI Musicpreneur: River Cain's fake AGT footage checked Oct 23, 2026