Wikipedia Replaces Evan Spiegel Photo with Reporter's Image

A Wikipedia edit mistakenly replaced the photo on Snap CEO Evan Spiegel's page with an image of technology reporter Maxwell Zeff, leading to confusion across search engines and social media. The change, made by a user named Artem G on April 26, persisted despite attempts to correct it, with the editor insisting on keeping the new photo.

Zeff discovered the mix-up on social media and confirmed it was his photo from a TechCrunch conference. He reached out to Artem G via Wikipedia's talk page but received no response. The editor had previously attempted a similar change in February, which was quickly reverted.

Artem G has made hundreds of contributions to various Wikipedia pages in recent months. >"Thanks for letting me know. I hadn't seen that," Spiegel told Zeff over email. "I'm quite happy to leave it up if that's alright with you. He predicted a period of significant pushback against AI changes.

Spiegel noted that Snap has integrated AI extensively, with the technology now writing two-thirds of the company's code. The company launched its My AI chatbot in February 2023. Snap reported 11% year-over-year revenue growth in 2025, reaching $5.9 billion, and grew its subscriber count by 71% to over 25 million paid users.

An NBC News poll from March found that only 26% of 1,000 registered voters viewed AI positively, compared to 46% with a negative view. A survey of 2,400 knowledge workers indicated that 29% admitted to sabotaging their employer's AI implementation, rising to 44% among Gen Z workers.

Despite criticism, Big Tech invested $700 billion in AI capital expenditures, and 57% of Americans reported using the technology.

Spiegel expressed concerns that prioritizing short-term profits over humanity's interests could hinder AI adoption. Other AI leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have acknowledged public disapproval of AI. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton have called for stronger guardrails to prevent risks like cyber attacks.

Snap announced in April plans to cut about 1,000 roles, or 16% of its full-time staff, and eliminate 300 planned hires.

A 2026 AI Index Report found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe AI will result in fewer jobs in 20 years, with only 5% expecting an increase. The report also noted low trust in the U.S. government's ability to regulate AI, with less than one-third of participants expressing confidence, below the global average of 54%.

Spiegel highlighted the challenge for tech leaders in communicating AI risks without causing widespread fear.