Artificial intelligence-generated images are captivating due to their striking realism. However, beyond their playful use on social media, these digital creation tools are beginning to impact the real world. Cases in Great Britain, India, and the United States show how these fictional creations can lead to unnecessary interventions by public services and affect critical infrastructure. While some internet users use them for jokes or to generate buzz, the tangible consequences of these images illustrate a new and complex interface between technology and reality. FACT CHECK – AI-generated images: when digital fiction impacts reality Images generated by artificial intelligence are proliferating on social media, offering often impressive representations of fictional scenes. Although primarily used for entertainment, these digital creations are beginning to affect reality in concrete ways, notably through the intervention of public services in response to misinformation. This article explores these impacts through various international examples, as well as the challenges posed by verifying the accuracy of these images. When Public Service Interaction Becomes Necessary The growing popularity of tools such as Sora from Open AI or Nano Banana fromGoogle

makes it possible to generate impressively realistic images. As a result, social media is flooded with such creations, sometimes requiring verification by public services. In Great Britain, a minor earthquake triggered the dissemination of an image showing a supposedly destroyed bridge in Lancaster. Although it was a fabrication, its concrete impact was an unnecessary disruption to rail traffic, thus disrupting the daily lives of thousands of passengers.

Fake Animals and Public Alerting in India In India, the digital appearance of fake leopards roaming the streets has sparked outrage, needlessly mobilizing forestry agents. Thanks to realistic depictions, internet users have been able to deceive the public and government services, forcing officials to verify each reported case in the field. This phenomenon has prompted the Indian Forest Service to consider legal action against the creators of these fictitious images, highlighting the need for regulation in the face of digital abuses. A tasteless joke: police intervention in the United States In the United States, a worrying new trend has emerged. Internet users are using AI creations to perpetrate hoaxes by inserting images of homeless people into the homes of relatives. Although these staged scenes are designed to surprise, they are not always well-received. Police departments in several states, such as Massachusetts and Wisconsin, have had to respond to complaints. These incidents highlight the irresponsible use of AI in a context where humor is mixed with anxiety and public disorder.

Fictitious images of disasters: a challenge for crisis management

The dissemination of digital images depicting natural disasters represents a growing risk for crisis managers. In British Columbia, doctored images of forest fires have appeared, causing concern and anxiety among the public. The forest fire service has been forced to issue warnings to distinguish between real and fake images and thus preserve its already limited resources. Such false alarms can paralyze relief efforts and create widespread confusion among affected populations. France’s position on these digital challenges In France, the authorities, specifically the Ministry of the Interior, maintain that they have not yet directly dealt with an intervention resulting from malicious online content. However, vigilance remains crucial, and efforts are underway to ensure that government agencies are prepared to properly identify and assess such content. This global challenge highlights the need for institutions to adapt their working methods to this new digital reality.