Pedestrians in Silicon Valley were left stunned over the weekend when some crosswalks started playing voices that sounded very much like tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. The cities of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City were said to be hit, the USA Today reported.
In Palo Alto, a video taken by social media user Bulou Varanisese showed a crosswalk playing a voice that sounded like Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “Hi, this is Elon Musk. Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla engineering,” the voice said. “You know, they say money can’t buy happiness, and … I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck and that’s pretty sick, right? Right? (Expletive), I’m so alone.”
Watch:
Palo Alto and Menlo Park crosswalks have been hacked with a humorous Elon Musk deepfaked voiceover.
Better than vandalism I suppose. pic.twitter.com/F8MQWxiO3i
— Gary Mark⚡️Blue Sky Kites 𝕏 🈴 (@blueskykites) April 14, 2025
City officials confirmed that audio systems at 12 intersections were hacked. The voice-altered messages were promptly shut down, and technicians are working to repair the systems. Authorities suspect the hacking took place last Friday.
Menlo Park also saw a similar prank. A voice imitating Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was heard around the company’s headquarters. One video that went around a lot featured: “Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me ‘The Zuck.’ It’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every. facet of your conscious experience,” the voice went on. “And I just want to assure you, you don’t need to worry because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyways, see ya.”
Redwood City authorities also confirmed that four intersections within their jurisdiction were impacted by the unauthorized audio.
Although the clips of the prank went viral immediately on the internet and elicited laughter from netizens, local authorities are taking the issue seriously. The California Department of Transportation is collaborating with Menlo Park and other local authorities to probe the breach, citing issues about public safety and the integrity of city infrastructure.
