AI-generated video of 'LA firefighters saving animals' fools on Facebook
- Published on February 4, 2025 at 07:08
- Updated on February 4, 2025 at 09:50
- 2 min read
- By Harshana SILVA, AFP Sri Lanka
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"Humanity that goes beyond the job. California wildfires," read a Sinhala-language Facebook post that shared the video on January 14, 2025.
The clip shows firefighters rescuing various animals, including a pair of small bears, deer and hedgehogs.
Los Angeles is staggering under the weight of a sprawling disaster that has killed more than two dozen people and forced tens of thousands from their homes (archived link).
Around 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) have been burned and thousands of buildings lie in ruins.
The video spread on Facebook pages with tens of thousands of followers, racking up more than 8,000 views in total.
The posts appeared to mislead some Facebook users who believed the video was genuine.
"Great people. I don't think there will be people like this in Sri Lanka," one commented.
"May they get well soon. Innocent animals suffered every day because of humans," another wrote.
Three-legged fox
A keyword search on TikTok found the video was posted by digital content creator "FutureRiderUS" on January 11 (archived link).
The account, which regularly posts AI-generated content, labelled the video as having been made with artificial intelligence.
The creator also uploaded the video to Instagram, where he wrote in a comment that the clip was "indeed created using AI" (archived link).
Furthermore, the video features telltale signs of AI-generated content, including the legs of deer which are unrealistically long.
In another frame, a fox appears to have three back legs.
AFP has fact-checked a wave of misinformation around the Los Angeles fires.
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