Bald eagle 'massaging' its mate? AI deepfakes collide with the laws of the wild
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Shadow gingerly places one taloned foot, then the other, on Jackie as she hunkers down on the nest.With Big Bear Lake glittering in the distance, he raises each foot in a kneading motion — evoking a bald eagle massage.“Somehow, it says everything about their bond,” reads the caption on the 15-second video posted to Facebook.It looks tender.It looks real.It isn’t.The clip is AI-generated.Jackie and Shadow — made world-famous by a 24-hour livestream — aren’t the only animals falsely depicted in deepfakes.
AI wildlife videos have flooded social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, racking up millions of views and likes.Some are whimsical, like a handful of bunnies hopping on a trampoline.
Others take a more menacing tone, like a jaguar facing off with a dog in a snowy backyard.Far from benign, some experts say the videos can skew how people view and even interact with wildlife — potentially leading to perilous encounters.They may also undermine viewers’ growing desire to tune into nature to escape the frenetic rhythms of daily life.
Repeated exposure could erode trust in media and institutions generally, with one Reddit user proclaiming, “Can’t even watch real animal videos because 90% of them are AI.” There are also legal implications.The deception works because the depictions are often hyperrealistic.
Even a producer for the Dodo, an animal-centric media outlet, admitted to falling for the bouncing bunnies.Often the videos appear to be ripped from trail or security cameras, enhancing vibes of authenticity.
In the competitive economy for people’s attention, the videos can help win looks and likes, potentially driving ad revenue for those who post them.Megan Brief, a digital marketing coordinator for Natural Habitat Adventures, an ecotourism company, had just returned from Svalbard, a far-flung Norwegian archipelago teeming with polar be...