Carcross AI image incident — Sep 2026

A website known as WE NEWS has been identified using generative AI to create fake journalist personas and masquerade as a legitimate news source, causing significant concern among Yukon First Nations. The platform has been accused of lifting the work of actual northern journalists and fabricating identities to misrepresent Indigenous communities.

What happened

The website listed three purported Northern correspondents, claiming they were Indigenous, to establish a false sense of credibility. One of these personas, Kaylee Johns, was described as a member of a Yukon First Nation. This fabrication directly impacted the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, as the name Johns belongs to a large, influential family within that community. Sheena Johns, a member of the Tlingit and Tagish Kwan, noted that the use of her family name as a trusted source for AI-generated content felt like a form of theft and a violation of traditional values.

Beyond the fabrication of personas, the website has been criticized for manipulating material and producing content for its own ends. The platform is published by a Hong Kong-incorporated company called AZ Medias Limited, with hosting services located in France, complicating efforts for accountability. Former Kwanlin Dün First Nation chief Doris Bill highlighted that the incident underscores the urgent need for legislated guardrails and data sovereignty. As First Nations work to protect their traditional knowledge, governance systems, and languages, the incident has heightened the conversation regarding the risks AI poses to Indigenous intellectual property and the reliability of information online.