Videos have appeared on social media claiming to show the impact of Hurricane Melissa with fake images of sharks – authorities in Jamaica have warned people to listen only to official information
Fake AI videos claiming to show the impact of Hurricane Melissa would have you believe sharks are swimming in the streets of Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, is pummelling Jamaica and expected to cause catastrophic damage. It is the strongest storm to lash the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago. The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare and the streets of the capital, Kingston, are largely empty.
Online fake images of sharks have added to the worry on the island. There have been several AI-generated clips showing the predators in floodwaters.
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Many of the fake clips shared on social media have the watermark of OpenAI’s text to video model Sora, but others don’t give any obvious indication that they are not genuine.
Senator Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, has been taking part in press conferences to provide “correct information” about the storm. “I am in so many WhatsApp groups, and I see all of these videos coming. Many of them are fake,” Ms Dixon said. “And so we urge you to please listen to the official channels.”
As well as the images of sharks, there have been other dramatic clips showing severe flooding and people running from a wave.
A University of Oklahoma meteorology professor has warned of the dangers from fake images. “This storm is a huge storm that will likely cause catastrophic damage, and fake content undermines the seriousness of the message from the government to be prepared,” said Prof Amy McGovern. “Eventually such fake content will lead to loss of life and property.”
Melissa, one of the strongest hurricanes in history, landed in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope and is expected to exit around St. Ann parish in the north, forecasters said. The storm is expected to slice diagonally across the island and head for Cuba.
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of Melissa’s landfall, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment would be slow. “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Monday. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”