PUB AI image incident — Aug 2024
A man faces legal charges in Singapore after using AI to generate a fake crocodile image that triggered a major search operation by the national water agency
- Incident date
- Aug 20, 2024
- Source report date
- Sep 29, 2026
- Target
- PUB (Singapore's national water agency)
In August 2024, Singapore's national water agency, PUB, launched an emergency search and capture operation after receiving reports of a crocodile sighting in the Pandan Reservoir. The incident led to the suspension of water activities for local rowing and canoeing organizations before authorities discovered the report was based on a fabricated image.
What happened
Police allege that a man named Ye Lin used artificial intelligence to generate a realistic image of a crocodile. He sent this image to a colleague, which subsequently resulted in the agency being alerted to the supposed threat. In response, PUB and national parks staff conducted search operations in the area, and the Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation were instructed to suspend their activities.
The following day, PUB confirmed the image was fake and reported the matter to the police. Investigators stated that Ye Lin attempted to conceal his actions by deleting the image and the application used to create it. He has since been charged, with the case scheduled to return to court in November. Under Singaporean law, sending a false message can result in up to three years in prison and a fine of up to S$10,000, while charges related to obstructing justice carry potential penalties of up to seven years in prison.