A resident reported a deadly snake to 911 with a photo to prove it, before admitting that the image was fabricated by AI. The police, unable to decide on their own, intend to pursue him.
On September 28, a man called 911 to report a Gabonese viper, a highly venomous snake native to sub-Saharan Africa, in the garden of a house in Santa Ana, California. Police and reptile specialists searched the neighborhood, and police relayed an alert on their social networks with the photo provided by the resident.
The image was actually generated by AI. Found at his workplace by investigators, the man eventually recognized the hoax. Police plan to fine him for false declaration of emergency and refer the matter to the county prosecutor; his identity and motive have not been made public.
No reliable tool for law enforcement
Spokeswoman Natalie Garcia admits that the service had doubts, but that it has no sure way to determine whether an image is artificial. The online detectors tested gave contradictory verdicts and the photo was already circulating widely: the police preferred to check on the ground. The episode shows how difficult it is for public services to filter synthetic content when they trigger a real intervention.
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