Back in my day, we had to make do with phreaking payphones to get a laugh, but these kids today? They’re hacking crosswalk signals to impersonate tech billionaires. Talk about leveling up the prank game 🙂 Last weekend, someone with a knack for voice synthesis and a sharp sense of humor decided to give Silicon Valley pedestrians a chuckle by making crosswalk buttons speak in the voices of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
“Hi, this is Elon Musk,” one of the hacked crosswalks announced, dripping with the kind of self-deprecating humor that’s become Musk’s trademark. “Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering. You know, they say money can’t buy happiness. And… yeah, okay… I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that’s pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I’m so alone.”
Not to be outdone, the Zuck got in on the action too. “Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck,” another crosswalk blared. “It’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don’t need to worry because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya.”
The prank, which quickly went viral, highlights not just the hacktivist’s technical skills but also the public’s mixed feelings about these tech titans. It’s a reminder that in the digital age, humor can be as cutting as any op-ed, and a lot more entertaining. The voices were reportedly heard in several Silicon Valley towns before being taken down, but not before racking up hundreds of thousands of views online.
It’s a brave new world out there, folks. One where even the crosswalks are in on the joke. Makes me nostalgic for the days of dial-up and BBS boards, but hey, progress marches on 🙂
