Joe Rogan mocks AI‑altered Alex Pretti image aired by MS NOW

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Podcaster Joe Rogan took aim at cable news this week after an AI-altered image of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis man fatally shot by ICE agents, mistakenly aired on MS NOW. Speaking on a Wednesday, Jan 28, episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, Rogan mocked the altered photo and said it was the “opposite” of how CNN portrayed him during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The image, which made Pretti appear noticeably more polished and conventionally attractive, briefly appeared during MS NOW’s coverage of the shooting before the network acknowledged it had aired an AI-enhanced photo pulled from the internet.

Joe Rogan reacts to altered Alex Pretti image during podcast discussion

Rogan raised the issue while discussing Pretti’s death with conservative commentator Andrew Wilson. Mid-conversation, the podcast host shifted focus to the image that aired on MS NOW, incorrectly assuming the network itself had created the alteration.

“Did you see what MSNBC did to his image?” Rogan said, using the network’s former name despite its rebrand to MS NOW late last year.

Rogan then compared the situation to his own past media treatment, referencing how CNN portrayed him during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Basically they did the opposite of what CNN did to me,” Rogan said. “You know, CNN during the COVID times turned me green, made me look ugly and like I was dying, and they made him handsome … so people would be more sympathetic to him getting shot.”

He questioned what he saw as a troubling implication behind altering someone’s appearance. “Which is kind of wild,” Rogan added. “Like, are ugly people less valuable?”

MS NOW acknowledges AI-enhanced photo aired during ‘Deadline: White House’

The altered image of Alex Pretti appeared during at least one MS NOW segment, specifically Monday’s episode of Deadline: White House hosted by Nicolle Wallace. After viewers on X pointed out the discrepancy, the network added an editor’s note to the video.

“EDITOR’S NOTE: MS NOW swapped out the original thumbnail image for this video,” the note read. “The previous thumbnail used was an AI-enhanced image of Alex Pretti.”

According to a person familiar with the situation, the image was sourced from the internet and was not created by MS NOW. The network declined to comment further, and the original source of the doctored photo remains unclear.

Joe Rogan and guest break down visible changes in doctored photo

Rogan and Wilson continued examining the side-by-side comparison of Pretti’s real photo and the AI-enhanced version during the podcast. Rogan pointed out several differences he said were immediately noticeable.

“Look at the difference,” Rogan said. “They shortened his face. They gave him a little bit of a tan. They widened his face a little bit. They just made him a little handsomer.”

Wilson joked that whoever edited the photo “gave him a bit of that Chad jaw.”

Rogan added that even finer details appeared altered. “They changed the tone of the color,” he said. “Wild. I mean, they changed his teeth. … They gave him veneers.”