Checking fake news online is actually making some people believe it, a new study has found.

It's not hard to find fake news, especially with the internet. But, you'd think a simple Google search could clear up any misinformation. New findings published in Nature, however, actually find that the opposite is true.

The renowned magazine Sports Illustrated allegedly published articles that were created by artificial intelligence-generated authors posing as humans, Futurism reported Monday.

An author by the name of Drew Ortiz appears to only exist on the author biography page of Sports Illustrated, according to Futurism. Outside the magazine, Ortiz appeared to have no social media presence or publishing history, and his profile picture looked almost identical to a headshot generated by an AI website.

In late October 2023, a number of viral online posts and articles claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin had died on Oct. 26, 2023, and a coup was underway in Moscow.

The rumors reportedly spread after a Telegram channel called General SVR claimed Putin had gone into cardiac arrest on Oct. 22, 2023. Other reports claimed Putin had been using a body double since.

The number of Americans who have lost all confidence in U.S. news media has reached a record high, according to a new poll out Thursday.

A poll from Gallup examining American trust in mass media found 39 percent have “none at all,” marking an all-time high since 1972 when the pollster first asked the question. Another 29 percent said they have “not very much trust” in media, which matches 2016 levels. Only about 3 in 10 respondents reported any real confidence, with 32 percent saying they still have “a great deal” or even just a “fair amount” of trust…

False claims about the deadly wildfires in Hawaii - including that shadowy forces orchestrated the disaster with a laser beam - have gained traction online.

The misleading posts come from a variety of sources and accounts, but generally imply that "elites" or government agencies deliberately started the fires.

Some of the most popular theories are couched in questions about a "narrative" and make claims that alternative views are being "censored", despite collecting millions of views.

CLAIM: The quote below Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ high school yearbook photo reads: “My Mount Rushmore is Jesus, Sir-Mixes-a-Lot, and Nintendo 64.”

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. An image of DeSantis’ entry in his yearbook was edited to add the quote. A spokesperson for the school district that oversees DeSantis’ alma mater confirmed to The Associated Press that the yearbook photo is authentic, but that there is no quote beneath it.

Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ high school yearbook photo was posted to Reddit by a person claiming to be a former schoolmate. But Instagram posts show an altered version of the yearbook entry that includes a fake quote from DeSantis referencing rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot and Nintendo 64.

In April, a Reddit user who said he attended Dunedin High School with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted the 2024 Republican presidential candidate’s yearbook photo online. DeSantis graduated from the school — which is in Dunedin, Florida — in 1997.

DeSantis recently stated he would refuse to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate if given the opportunity to join him on the ticket, according to NBC News. DeSantis, who has struggled to compete with Trump in primary polling, stated that he’s not “a number two guy,” Fox News reported.

A Twitter photo purports to show DeSantis’ high school yearbook quote. The image shows the Florida governor in a black and white headshot wearing a collared shirt.

“My Mount Rushmore is Jesus, Sir-Mixes-a-Lot, and Nintendo 64,” the quote allegedly reads.