Police departments around the world are warning about the dangers of a popular social media prank artificial intelligence to simulate a house break-in.
Known online as a “homeless prank,” the perpetrator convinces the recipient that a homeless stranger has invaded their home by sending them artificially generated images of a homeless person sitting on their couch, lying on their bed, and going through their kitchen cabinets.
The trend has spread to multiple platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
As it gains traction, authorities have warned of the dangers of sharing false information online.
“Aside from being in poor taste, there are many reasons why this prank is, to put it bluntly, stupid and potentially dangerous.” wrote police in Salem, Massachusetts this week on their website.
“This prank dehumanizes the homeless, panics the desperate recipient, and wastes police resources. Officers called to respond do not realize it is a prank and treat the call as an actual burglary in progress, creating a potentially dangerous situation.”
In England, this trend has led some local authorities to report false burglaries.
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Poole Police issued a warning after receiving a call from a parent whose child had played the prank on them.
“Not only did this consume valuable operational resources that could have dealt with an alternative emergency, it was also viewed as a blue light response,” the post said.
Ireland’s National Police,
“An Garda Síochána is aware of a trending prank circulating on social media where an AI-generated image of an intruder is sent to a loved one,” it added Facebook.
“This has led to an emergency response by gardaí on several occasions, which ultimately turned out to be a false report of a burglary.
“This represents a waste of valuable Garda resources and distracts from genuine emergency calls that require a response. There is a risk that legitimate emergency calls will not receive the urgent attention they require, raising serious safety concerns for those who need our immediate assistance.”
“We urge everyone not to engage in this prank and to consider the consequences that may arise from such activities.”
The prank is the latest in a series of AI-induced controversies circulating online.
Earlier this week, Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda Williamspublicly called for people to stop sending her AI-generated videos featuring her late father’s likeness and voice.
“Please just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Zelda, 36, posted on her Instagram story on Monday.
“Stop thinking that I want to see it or that I will understand it, I don’t and I won’t. If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen much worse, I’ll limit myself and move on.”
Zelda’s comments follow controversy surrounding the introduction of an “AI actor” named Tilly Norwood.
Norwood is a character created entirely by artificial intelligence and has been described as Hollywood’s first AI actor by its creator, producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden, who has expressed her intention to sign Norwood to a talent agency.
The introduction of the AI
In a statement on TuesdaySaid the Screen Actors Guild: “Creativity is and should be human-centered.”
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