Officials issued warning after AI video caused panic: ‘Disturbing’.[s] public peace”

Panic began among people when a frightening video of a tiger roaming in a suburb of the Indian city of Pune was circulated online. But the video wasn’t real. Created by artificial intelligence.

What happened?

according to Times of IndiaThis video was shared across social media starting December 2. It depicts a type of big cat creature in a riverbed in Bavdhan, a suburb of Pune.

The forest department, local volunteers and police searched the entire river section and surrounding neighbourhoods. They looked for evidence of the animal, such as droppings or footprints, but found nothing.

Officials issued a formal warning about the misleading content and noted that it appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence or modified, the news outlet reported.

Why are fake wildlife videos and artificial intelligence so concerning?

More people are consuming content on social media, and it’s becoming harder to recognize AI-generated content in your feed. This means that misinformation – such as falsely saying there is a tiger nearby – can spread like fire and cause real panic.

“Such images create confusion and disturb public peace,” a forest department official told The Times of India.

The necessary response from the community to search the area and refute the claim also shows how online fraud can waste public resources.

In a broader sense, the rise of AI-generated content is contributing to a significant technology drain on the energy grid.

Some efforts have been made to equip AI data centers with cleaner energy systems that are better for human health and the Earth than highly polluting electricity production by oil, coal, and gas. However, data centers still require huge amounts of electricity and water and can harm local communities.

What can be done about fake AI content?

The best way for individuals to combat visual misinformation online is Learn how to spot it. Once you know what to look for, you can avoid sharing or publishing it.

In the case of the fake tiger, forest officials have warned that such posts could be subject to legal action under India’s internet laws, the newspaper explained. Of course, real animal sightings should still be reported to keep communities and animals safe.

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