AI deepfakes of Hurricane Helene victims circulate on social media, hurt real people

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, misinformation has flooded the internet, including two doctored AI images of a desperate, sobbing child aboard a boat in supposed floodwaters.At first glance, the photos floating around online simply show a child in a lifejacket holding a dog as rain from the storm — the worst to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — continues to drench them.A closer look, however, reveals several discrepancies between the two nearly identical photos, as reported by Forbes.In one photo, the child even has an extra, misplaced finger.She is also wearing two different shirts and sits in a different type of boat in each photo.

The pup’s coat is also slightly darker in one shot, which is also more blurred and pixelated.Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was among those who fell for the photo, sharing it on X Thursday and writing, “Caption this photo.” He later deleted it after users pointed out that the image was fake.One Facebook user also fell for the “deepfake” image, sharing it with the caption, “Dear God, help our babies and their families!”Some commenters called out the obvious signs that it had been tampered with.Manipulated images portraying disasters can have long-term consequences, complicate relief efforts, create false narratives, erode public trust in times of crisis and hurt real people, Forbes reported.They can also be used to scam people into donating to fake fundraisers, though it is not clear if the image of the child has been used for that purpose.An AI-generated image shared widely online in May depicted rows of neatly organized tents in Gaza with several tents in the center spelling out “All Eyes on Rafah.”The fake photo was shared by tens of millions of people on social media, including Noble Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and model Gigi Hadid, but critics say it failed to capture the reality of the war-torn region.“People have been posting really graphic and disturbing content to raise awareness and that g...