Officials issue warning after AI video causes panic: 'Disturb[s] public peace'

People started to panic when a scary video was circulated online of a leopard prowling around a suburb of Pune, India. However, the video was not real; it was generated by artificial intelligence. 

What happened?

According to The Times of India, this video was shared via social media starting on Dec. 2. It depicted some kind of big cat creature in a riverbed in Bavdhan, the Pune suburb. 

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

Officials released a formal warning about the misleading content and noted that it appeared to be AI-generated or altered, the news outlet reported. 

Why are fake wildlife videos and AI concerning?

So many people consume content on social media, and AI-generated content is getting harder to recognize in your feed. That means misinformation — like falsely saying there is a leopard nearby — can spread like fire and cause real panic. 

"Such visuals create confusion and disturb public peace," a forest department official said, per The Times of India. 

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

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

There have been some efforts to power AI data centers with cleaner energy systems that are better for human health and the Earth than high-pollution electricity production via oil, coal, and gas. Yet data centers still demand huge quantities of electricity and water and can cause harm for local communities.

What can be done about fake AI content?

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

In the case of the fake leopard, forest officials warned that such posts could be subject to legal action under India's cyber laws, the Times detailed. Of course, true animal sightings should still be reported to keep communities and animals safe.

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