Topics

in vogue

AI

Amazon

Article image

Image Credits:Owen Smith / Getty Images

Apps

Biotech & Health

mood

a photo of a crosswalk button that reads, “push button for”… and the symbol for walking.

Image Credits:Owen Smith / Getty Images

Cloud Computing

Commerce

Crypto

Enterprise

EVs

Fintech

fund-raise

Gadgets

gage

Google

Government & Policy

ironware

Instagram

Layoffs

Media & Entertainment

Meta

Microsoft

concealment

Robotics

surety

Social

Space

inauguration

TikTok

transfer

Venture

More from TechCrunch

Events

Startup Battlefield

StrictlyVC

newssheet

Podcasts

video

Partner Content

TechCrunch Brand Studio

Crunchboard

Contact Us

Audio - enabled traffic restraint crosswalk buttons across Silicon Valley were hacked over the weekend to include audio snippets imitating the voices of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk .

Videostakenby localsin Menlo Park , Palo Alto , and Redwood City in California show the crossover button were playing AI - bring forth speech designed to vocalise like the two billionaire .

“ It ’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even rape as we forcefully insert AI into every aspect of your witting experience , ” said one crossover button , which was chop to sound like Zuckerberg . “ I just desire to assure you , you do n’t need to care because there ’s perfectly nothing you may do to stop it . ”

One crossover button that was hack to sound like Musk said : “ I guess they say money ca n’t buy felicity … I guess that ’s dead on target . God know I ’ve tried . But it can buy a Cybertruck and that ’s pretty sick , good ? ”

“ F — k , I ’m so alone , ” the Musk representative adds .

It ’s not clear why the sidewalk buttons were hacked , or by whom , but signs show topossible hacktivism .

our crosswalk just got vc fund apparently#paloalto#elonmusk#tesla#siliconvalley#walkablecities

Replying to @whitney 🍉

Menlo Park , home of meta , crosswalk speakers are getting hack … @Mark Zuckerberg

Palo Alto Online , one ofthe first outlets to reportthe hack , cited a Redwood City functionary as saying the city was “ actively working to investigate and correct the issue as chop-chop as potential . ” According to the way out , the tampering may have chance on Friday .

Audio - enabled crossing buttons are widely used across the United States to allow those with optic deadening or accessibility needs to learn tradition audio message that represent for pedestrians to know when it is dependable to cross a street .

Ina TV from 2024 , physical incursion medical specialist and security researcherDeviant Ollamexplains how audio - enabled crossover buttons can be manipulated often by path of default - set watchword that have not been changed .

Polara , the company that makes the audio frequency - enabled crosswalk buttons , did not respond to a request for gossip when adjoin by TechCrunch on Monday .