Four Financial Journalists Accused of Being Fake AI-Generated Puppets That Shill Crypto in…
Four financial journalists publishing in major outlets are accused of being AI-generated fakes promoting specific crypto coins, potentially orchestrated by a crypto PR firm.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- Nikolai Kuznetsov, Reuben Jackson, Luis Aureliano, and Joe Liebkind
In 2026, questions arose about the authenticity of four prolific financial journalists publishing in outlets like Forbes and HuffPost. An investigation suggested they may be AI-generated or using stock photos to promote specific cryptocurrencies.
What happened
The Press Gazette found that Nikolai Kuznetsov, Reuben Jackson, Luis Aureliano, and Joe Liebkind, writing for major publications, lacked a clear online history and used headshots suspected to be AI-generated or stock photos. These writers frequently promoted cryptocurrencies associated with clients of MarketAcross, a PR firm for blockchain companies. A defunct website for one of the writers shared an address with InboundJunction, a PR group with the same founders as MarketAcross. Publications where these writers appeared could not confirm their authenticity, and the writers themselves did not respond to inquiries. The managing partner for MarketAcross denied employing the writers or operating their profiles.