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Fake stamp over Gaboon viper
California is home to around 50 different types of snakes, including a handful of venomous species. However, that does not include the Gaboon viper, and one man has landed in hot water after riling up people with an A.I.-generated picture that made it look like one was on the loose in Santa Ana.
There was once a time when you had to be proficient in the art of Photoshop or have a solid handle on video editing software if you wanted to pull off a convincing internet hoax. However, it’s now easier than ever for a layman to dupe the masses thanks to artificial intellgience.
There’s currently no shortage of platforms that are capable of pumping out increasingly convincing pictures and videos based on nothing but a written prompt. Many of them still feature telltale signs of A.I., but as someone who’s spent well over a decade sniffing out content of questionable origin on the internet, I’ve learned you really need to stay on your toes these days if you want to avoid being tricked.
Those fake creations also have the potential to cause some repercussions in the real world, which was the case with a hoax that could lead to one man ending up in jail in California.
A Santa Ana man is at the center of a criminal investigation over an A.I. image of a Gaboon viper
There are upwards of 50 unique species of snakes in California, including seven different types of rattlesnakes that are the only venomous reptiles you really need to worry about encountering (at least when you’re on dry land).
However, it appeared that an unexpected visitor had popped up in a neighborhood in Santa Ana earlier this week in the form of a Gaboon viper, a highly venomous snake that’s native to Southeast Asia and has a bite that can be potentially fatal (although they rarely go out of their way to attack people).
Residents in a neighborhood in the vicinity of Main Street and Edinger Avenue were put on high alert after the picture was shared by a man named Joel Ciprian, who called the police on Monday, September 28th shortly after taking a photo that quickly made the rounds.
According to CBS News, some people were skeptical the picture was authentic. However, the Santa Ana Police Department asserted it was real after running it through an ” A.I. detection system” (specifically Grok), and Ciprian responded to claims of a possible hoax by saying, “I wish it was AI. It’s in my backyard, and it’s scary.”
About that…
On Tuesday, that same outlet reported Ciprian eventually admitted he made the entire thing up after turning to A.I. to generate the image, and he is now facing criminal charges for falsifying a police report.
The district attorney will ultimately be responsible for deciding which (if any) charges to pursue, but it would appear to be a misdemeanor that can be punished by up to six months in jail and a fine that’s capped at $1,000.