While AI-generated images have been criticized for lacking independent creativity and plagiarizing from artists, another great issue often goes overlooked. The ability of AI to make false images look believable.
While AI’s image generation definitely helps people fill in some gaps in their projects, it can also be used to create fake pictures that look too real to be proven otherwise. Thus, people with ill will can take advantage to fool others.
The most recent controversy that arose was surrounding the image of a comically large Irish Greyhound.
Is the Vintage Photo of the Viral Irish Greyhound Real or Fake?
The viral image of a giant Irish Greyhound dog, which is claimed to be from 1902, has been making the rounds on the Internet. However, it is an AI-generated image, and the giant dog never existed in the 1900s. It was posted by an AI image enthusiast on Facebook.
If you examine the image, it boasts of an abnormally huge dog sitting beside an unknown man. The image is eerie due to the surroundings and the shabby state of the dog, who is peering with dark, mysterious eyes.
The caption claimed that the image was taken in 1902 and the dog was the last giant of its kind. Even the brownish hue and style of the picture seemed reminiscent of the time. Thus, it became a very believable lie and received tons of retweets and likes, leaving social media users to question its authenticity.
Of course, the Internet being the Internet, random people had to jump in and start authenticating the lie and even create more grandiose stories about it. One claimed that the dog was named Hogan and was the beloved companion of a man named Dan Donovan. It later added that the height of the animal is 28 inches, weighing around 90 pounds. This estimate would make it much bigger than an average greyhound.
Another person reported that the dog was named Finnegan and stood tall at 32 inches, weighing 105 pounds. You might have gotten the flow now that everyone seems to be exaggerating the image and the story behind it.
After much inspection and curiosity, it was discovered that the image was first posted on a Facebook group by user @Antonie Joe. The group is for sharing AI-generated images, and its about section states:
“Step into the eerie world of AI-generated cursed art, where machines possess powers to create twisted and terrifying masterpieces… These disturbingly beautiful images crafted by AI will leave you questioning the very nature of technology and its place in our world.”
The group, as well as the user, have uploaded many similar and eerie AI-generated images previously.
A user of 9gag.com also commented that they were the OP and had tagged the image as AI, which was made with the help of Midjourney. The claim is still unconfirmed.
So once again, let me remind you to think before you leap and not trust everything you read or see on the Internet. Social media is fraught with lies; you should question anything and everything you find.
Don’t forget to comment below if you, too, were taken in and duped by the eerie image of the giant dog at first glance.
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