Did FBI Director Kash Patel use AI to rip off the Beastie Boys?
FBI Director Kash Patel released a promotional video that closely resembles the Beastie Boys' 1994 music video for 'Sabotage,' using the song's instrumental and nearly identical visuals. Experts analyzed the footage and concluded it was likely generated using AI, citing telltale digital artifacts and inconsistencies. The FBI and involved artists have not responded to inquiries about the video's creation or authorization.
- ▪The FBI promotional video posted by Kash Patel features clips nearly identical to the Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' music video directed by Spike Jonze.
- ▪NPR identified at least six shots in the FBI video that closely match the original, with minor AI-generated flaws such as missing window grilles and distorted telephone lines.
- ▪Experts, including Hany Farid from UC Berkeley and Kolina Koltai of Bellingcat, believe AI was used to recreate the footage, likely through an image-to-video model.
- ▪The video was posted on X and received around half-a-million views within a day of its release on May 4, 2026.
- ▪This incident follows a broader pattern in President Trump's second term of using AI and popular media in official communications, sometimes without artist consent.
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Technology Did FBI Director Kash Patel use AI to rip off the Beastie Boys? May 5, 20261:15 PM ET Geoff Brumfiel A still from an FBI promotional video (left) bears a strong resemblance to the opening shot of the original 1994 music video for the Beastie Boy's "Sabotage" (right). NPR found at least six examples where shots in the FBI video matched those in music video. Experts say the most likely explanation is that AI-was used to re-create the shots. Screenshots by Emily Bogle for NPR/X and YouTube hide caption toggle caption Screenshots by Emily Bogle for NPR/X and YouTube A promotional video for the FBI posted by director Kash Patel appears to have used AI to generate short clips nearly identical to those in the Beastie Boy's iconic music video for their 1994 classic song "Sabotage."…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR Topics: News.
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