How a Fake AI Image of an Escaped Wolf Sent South Korean Rescuers on Wild Goose Chase - ZME Science
A fake AI image of an escaped wolf in South Korea fooled authorities and diverted resources, delaying the wolf's capture by nine days and highlighting the dangers of AI disinformation.
- Incident date
- Apr 2024
- Target
- Neukgu the wolf
When a two-year-old wolf escaped from a zoo in South Korea, a frantic nine-day manhunt ensued, but the search was soon complicated by AI. A single, artificially generated photo of the wolf fooled local authorities, diverting hundreds of emergency responders for days.
What happened
After a wolf escaped from its enclosure at a zoo, an AI-generated image surfaced, depicting the wolf at a local intersection. The image convinced the city government to issue an emergency warning, and police presented the fabricated photo during a press briefing. Critical resources were diverted to empty streets as a result of the AI image. The disruption delayed the capture of the wolf by nine days and caused significant disruption to public safety personnel. The person who created the image stated that he did it "for fun" and now faces an investigation.