AI generated photographs turn cause for concern to forest officials

Forest officials in Adilabad are facing trouble due to AI-generated tiger photographs going viral on social media. A fake tiger image shared by a youngster in Neradigonda triggered panic among villagers, forcing officials to verify the claims and monitor the situation closely

Adilabad: Images generated using Artificial Intelligence applications are causing confusion among Forest department officials.

A photograph of a tiger went viral on social media platforms in Neradigonda mandal recently, prompting Forest officials to cross-check whether a tiger was really moving in Wadur village. The officials later confirmed that no tiger was wandering in and around the village. Their investigation revealed that a youngster had intentionally posted the image to draw the attention of internet users.

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“The youngster created the image of a tiger using an AI application and shared it in a WhatsApp group. The photograph was eventually shared widely, triggering panic among locals. It was found to be an AI-generated photograph when we checked the mobile phone of the youngster. A complaint was lodged with the police. Action will be taken against him soon,” a forest official said.

Incidentally, an adult male tiger and a female tiger were found in Boath forest range situated near Neradigonda. The tigers are believed to have moved from Maharashtra four months ago and their movement is being closely monitored. Officials said these tigers were shuttling between Telangana and Maharashtra, but had not entered the forest near Neradigonda so far. They have killed some cattle but have not attacked any human being so far. Awareness is being created about the presence of the tigers and people are being asked not to venture deep into the forest.

However, sharing AI-generated photographs of tigers has become a cause for concern for the officials. The authorities are forced to deploy a team to watch for tigers whenever an image of a tiger surfaces on social media platforms. The team then traces the person who shared the photograph. The officials also need to spend time allaying the apprehensions of villagers.

Forest officials recalled that similar incidents involving AI-generated photographs of tigers were reported in Mancherial and Siddipet districts in recent times. The tendency among youngsters to share unverified photographs is affecting tiger conservation efforts. Officials are getting distracted whenever AI-generated images of tigers go viral.