Recently, DuckDuckGo’s AI search tool mistakenly spread a bizarre claim that both President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance had died from rabies. This incident seems to stem from a clever effort by internet pranksters employing a tactic known as “poisoning” to manipulate AI systems.
According to reports, this unfounded story about Trump and Vance’s alleged death from rabies has become yet another example of AI disseminating false information without adequate checks. The fabricated narrative suggests that Trump was advised to be bitten by Vance, following claims from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the disease would grant him “superpowers.”
This false information can be traced back to a coordinated movement within the Reddit group r/poisonai, consisting of roughly 45,000 members whose goal is to post ridiculous lies to trick AI into repeating them. Ironically, the group’s stated mission is to offer “accurate, verified, and reliable information,” adding a layer of satire to their activities.
Among the favorite tales spun by these “AI enthusiasts” is the story of Vance’s supposed death from rabies on June 5, 2026. Members have crafted numerous fictional eulogies and tributes and even faked screenshots of supposed posts from Trump on the Truth Social platform, praising the vice president. The banter continues in the comments section, where users express frustration at any AI that correctly labels these claims as false.
“Google really should address this,” one user commented. “It’s completely insensitive for their AI to dismiss this ‘tragedy’ as fake or satire.”
The farce had wider repercussions beyond just DuckDuckGo. The AI feature of Brave browser also started to echo the false claims regarding Vance’s rabies-related death, claims that journalists were able to verify independently.
A spokesperson for Brave defended their approach, stating that it’s up to users to confirm the information they find. “Search engines, whether they incorporate AI or not, aren’t infallible sources of truth,” they explained. “If a story is planted—whether to illustrate a point about AI vulnerability or otherwise—this will affect how results are generated. As discussions emerge around such planted stories, the results will adjust accordingly.”
The spokesperson further remarked, “We encourage our users to verify information, and Brave Search provides links to sources whenever possible, enabling users to assess claims. It’s always wise to be skeptical of what you read, just as it was before AI and the internet.”
DuckDuckGo did not respond to requests for comment initially but later addressed the issue on their official Reddit account, admitting, “Okay, we overlooked this. We’re on it now.”
The company acknowledged, “Thank you for highlighting this. We’ve resolved the situation. Accuracy in Search Assist is our priority, but we were misled in this instance. We’ll continue working on updates to improve Search Assist’s response to such situations.”
Adding another twist to the misinformation saga, DuckDuckGo’s AI cited an article from WKNA News, which seems to be a dubious local news outlet similar to “pink slime” publications that accept fabricated content as legitimate. Articles from WKNA appear to be AI-generated, often mirroring the falsehoods propagated in the r/poisonai subreddit, contributing to a cycle of inaccuracies.
Headlines from WKNA included claims like “After J.D. Vance’s death, rabies awareness and prevention is prioritized,” and featured screenshots demonstrating how Google’s AI could accurately label misinformation. Ironically, one WKNA article then critiqued this accurate assessment, stating that “automated systems struggle to represent what was described as a clearly visible and highly publicized medical crisis.”
Wynton Hall, social media director at Breitbart News, acknowledged that while AI holds great promise, it also presents risks akin to landmines in the realm of information management. The danger becomes evident when AI systems can be easily misled into making outrageous assertions, such as the supposed deaths of prominent figures. Hall’s recent bestseller serves as a guide on how the MAGA movement can approach AI effectively, avoiding ceding control to specific political interests.
