Japan town retracts bear sighting warning sparked by AI image

A bear warning sign is displayed in Shirakawa-go, a popular tourist spot in Gifu Prefecture. A town in Miyagi Prefecture has retracted its social media post warning of a bear sighting after discovering an image submitted to it had been generated using artificial intelligence. A Japanese town has deleted a social media post warning of a bear sighting after discovering that a picture it had received showing the fearsome creature was generated using artificial intelligence. Similar fake images have been circulating online as fear of bears runs high in the country, where the animals have killed a record 13 people this year. "The town prioritized informing residents to avoid danger, but we apologize for causing any anxiety or confusion," the town of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, said on its official X social media account on Wednesday.