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Japanese Town Retracts Bear Alert After Image Found to Be AI-Generated

03:23 PM, 11/27/2025
Japanese Town Retracts Bear Alert After Image Found to Be AI-Generated

A northern Japanese town deleted a social-media alert after learning a photo of a bear it posted had been generated by AI. Officials said they shared the image quickly because the sighting was reported close to a nursery school, but later apologised when the image's creator confirmed it was fake. The case highlights how realistic AI media complicate public-safety communications amid a spike in dangerous bear encounters this year. Authorities say they will improve verification and information procedures.

A northern Japanese town removed a social media alert after discovering that a photo it shared of a roaming bear had been generated using artificial intelligence. Officials said they had posted quickly because the alleged sighting was reported near a nursery school, then apologised for any alarm caused when the image was proven fake.

What happened

The image depicted a bear wandering a residential area at night. It was forwarded to local authorities by the president of a local company, who had received it from an employee. The town posted the image to warn residents and instruct schoolchildren to travel in groups or use buses; nursery pupils were kept indoors as a precaution.

How the error unfolded

While officials simultaneously checked the photo with several verification apps, the results were inconsistent: one tool flagged a high likelihood that the image was AI-generated, while another indicated a low probability. Later the person who created the AI image contacted the town and confirmed it had been made "for fun," prompting officials to take down the post.

"We will take this experience as a lesson, and will strive to improve the accuracy and speed of our future information dissemination," the town said, while urging residents to continue exercising utmost caution regarding bear sightings.

Broader context

The incident comes amid a particularly alarming year for human-bear encounters in Japan, which has recorded a higher-than-usual number of fatal attacks. At the same time, realistic AI-generated images and videos are spreading online, complicating efforts by authorities and communities to assess real threats quickly.

Investigations of social media content have found a substantial share of clips and images about bears to be fabricated or manipulated. Some of these fake videos were produced using modern video-generation tools, and several have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, amplifying public concern.

Takeaways

The episode highlights two linked risks: a genuine rise in dangerous wildlife encounters and the growing sophistication of AI media that can trigger false alarms. Officials say they will refine verification procedures and communication practices to avoid unnecessary panic while keeping residents safe.

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