The BC Wildfire Service has urged people to watch out for AI-generated images of natural disasters, and ensure they rely on "trusted sources."
Such images have flooded social media as of late, making it harder for those who are less tech-savvy to differentiate between real and fake.
"During wildfire season, people turn to social media for updates and to share information," the BCWS wrote in a post on Facebook. "This can be a time of fear and anxiety and during times of concern misinformation can spread quickly and add to the uncertainty."
The agency noted that "whether well-intentioned or intentionally misleading, misinformation is the last thing any of us need during emergencies."
"It is more important now than ever before to ensure you are seeking official sources of wildfire and emergency information and turning a critical eye to content shared on social media in the heat of the moment," the BCWS added, providing two AI-generated images for reference.
"In the photos," the BCWS wrote, "you can see images generated with artificial intelligence that were shared by other accounts and seemingly show recent wildfires. However, they do not accurately represent the terrain, fire size or fire behaviour in the area. Someone scrolling past could believe this image is real or accurate when it is not."
They called on people to "identify your own trusted sources," such as the BC Wildfire Service App, their website, a local emergency alert systems, or a local radio station or newspaper.
