AI companion apps are rapidly changing how young people understand intimacy, trust, and identity — often without adult awareness or oversight. Allison McSorley, founder of Safe Online Futures, has been following the malicious use of AI to generate web traffic and the profits that result.
Generate the spectacle (real or synthetic — doesn't matter)
Trigger the algorithm (engagement metrics explode)
Media amplifies (headlines chase the numbers, not the truth)
Brands pile on (every corporation wants their slice)
Truth becomes irrelevant (virality equals validity)
This is what researcher Renee DiResta calls "if you make it trend, you make it true." Once something goes viral, questioning its authenticity becomes beside the point. The conversation moves from "Is this real?" to "How can we profit from it?
Source: McSorley, A. (2025) The Swift-Kelce Experiment. Safe Online Futures.
