The Earnhardts have tons of NASCAR stories that inspire all of us. And now, with Amazon Prime’s new documentary ‘Earnhardt’ throwing the spotlight on Dale Earnhardt Sr., stories about the racing family are reaching a global audience. Those stories involve Dale Earnhardt Jr. as well, the son of the Intimidator, a 26-time Cup Series race winner, and NASCAR media mogul. However, one such story about the veteran recently got out of hand on social media.

Fake news and storylines are nothing new, as cyber criminals have tried to malign celebrities for ages. However, with the usage of Artificial Intelligence and AI-generated media overtaking the world, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family were recently in for something new.

A (fake) rescue story by Dale Jr. surfaces

NASCAR already utilizes AI technology in its operations. AI can help refine aerodynamics, optimize engine performance, and even calculate the most efficient angle for fuel nozzles during pit stops. Computer-generated simulations are used to improve on-track performance, something previously unthinkable during Dale Earnhardt’s time, when raw human skills and talents were the only resources.

Even Amazon Prime, where Dale Jr. is working as a broadcaster, uses AI to make streaming easier for its users. From boosting dialogue volumes to delivering real-time insights into Thursday Night Football, it has reached an advanced level. Despite the convenience of the new technology, Dale Jr. found himself in a serious dilemma.

A NASCAR fan recently posted a Facebook screenshot on X. You can see Dale Jr. holding two babies in the photos, and with the same babies after they turned into adults. According to the caption, Dale Jr. rescued them on a cold winter’s night several years ago, and they came back to visit him. But the eerily senior face of the veteran gave it away.

That is what Dale Jr. pointed out, writing on X: “I looked 50 yrs old, 18 years ago.” Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Jr’s sister and co-owner of JR Motorsports, also commented. She was shocked about the number of likes that the FB post carried – over 900. She wrote, “It’s mind boggling where they come up…With this but even more mind boggling the people that comment and believe it!”

What is more, such AI-generated images and fake storylines make things harder for actual media companies. As AI becomes more and more convincing, the press finds it more challenging to deliver accurate news, as Jeff Gluck emphasized. The Athletic journalist wrote, “The sh—- part is with all this “content” flooding the zone, it’s getting harder and harder to get our actual stories to the audience. People’s feeds are filled with this because it gets engagement and the algorithm is prioritizing this cr– over real news. It’s pretty scary.”

Despite this scary encounter with AI, Dale Jr may need to see it again in NASCAR. That is because the sport may heavily adopt it.

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NASCAR is seeking help to improve itself

Well, Dale Jr.’s experience with AI was definitely unpleasant. However, the new technology has already infiltrated many parts of his sport. Richard Childress Racing, for instance, formed a partnership with Lenovo to remodel entire pit stops based on AI data. What is more important, NASCAR is in the process of using AI to improve the Cup Series playoffs.

Remember the backlash the sport got for the 2024 Cup title? Joey Logano became the first NASCAR driver in history to score the championship with the lowest average finishing position of 17.1. So, the current playoff format, first adopted in 2014, is in dire need of change. And AI may pave the way to finally achieving that.

While AI-generated highlights and chatbot functions are already a thing, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell said they could take it a notch further. He said in January this year, “When we created even the stages or playoff format [years ago], you did that with the best data you had and best minds you had, but now being able to plug in and work with AI in terms of, ‘OK, if you tweak the playoffs this way, what should we be watching out for?’ or ‘How could that affect the sport?’ — there’s so much data and technology out there that you can throw into a model. I think it’s going to be very helpful in looking at some predictive analysis of where the sport can go in the future, and then there’s the whole business side of things too.”

Clearly, Dale Jr. is going to see more of AI than he wants to. Hopefully, something can be done about the trend of fake AI-generated media.