Man detained in South Korea for alleged disruption of public services.
A South Korean man was arrested after allegedly posting a fake image on social media, created by artificial intelligence (AI), that showed a wolf roaming the streets of Daejeonin central South Korea.
The reason for the arrest is linked to the fact that, at the time of the controversial publication, there was a real search operation for a wolf (also real), which had escaped from a zoo in the same city.
Initially, authorities were led to believe the publication and treat the image contained in it as a credible clue — until they realized that it was, almost literally, a “Peter and the Wolf” story.
It all started on April 8th, reports . That day, Neukgu, a two-year-old wolf as part of a reintroduction program for the species in South Korea, escaped from his enclosure.
The escape led to the mobilization of emergency teams, drones, and ground patrols, while authorities warned people about the possibility of encountering a gray wolf on the city’s streets. Even South Korean President Lee Jae Myung addressed the case, calling for the animal’s safe capture.
Shortly after, a seemingly realistic image of Neukgu crossing an intersection began circulating online. Although the image was not true, it was convincing enough to change the authorities’ response. According to the BBC, search teams were redirected, emergency alerts were issued and the image was even presented at a press conference.
The man identified as the author of the image reportedly told authorities that he created it “for fun”. But now it faces the possibility of a penalty of up to five years in prisondue to alleged disruption in the functioning of public services.
As for Neukgu, the wolf, he ended up staying nine days on the run before being tranquilized, near a highway. The animal was found without serious injuries, although veterinarians detected a small hook in its stomach, which was successfully removed.
