AI-generated rat video falsely linked to hantavirus - VIDEO - Latest news from Azerbaijan
A viral video showing rats pouring from a truck, falsely linked to the 2026 hantavirus outbreak, was identified as AI-generated, likely using OpenAI's Sora 2.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- General Public
In May 2026, as concerns grew over a hantavirus outbreak, a video showing rats jumping from a moving truck circulated widely on social media, falsely claiming it depicted the deliberate spread of disease. AFP analysis revealed the video to be fabricated, likely created using AI.
What happened
The video depicted dozens of rats pouring out of a hole in the back of a semi-trailer on a highway. It was shared across multiple platforms, including X, Reddit, and Instagram, coinciding with the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Conspiracy theories quickly emerged, alleging the outbreak and the video were part of a planned epidemic or depopulation campaign. An AI detection tool identified the video as AI-generated, and AFP noted visual irregularities typical of the technology.