Police in Singapore have arrested and charged a man after he allegedly posted an AI-generated image of a saltwater crocodile swimming in a public water area.

The accused, 30-year-old Ye Lin from Myanmar, allegedly posted the AI-generated image last month, immediately raising public concern. The image showed an estuarine crocodile in Pandan Reservoir, Singapore’s largest reservoir and a popular recreational area.

There were real-world consequences. Singapore’s national water agency suspended work at the reservoir for two days to investigate the possible sighting. Reservoir staff and other officials conducted an exhaustive search of the reservoir, ultimately found nothing, and determined the image was fake. Singaporean rowing and canoeing groups had to suspend their scheduled activities during this time.

Per BBC, Lin intends to plead guilty to the offenses. The charges include distributing a false message. It’s a serious offense punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of nearly $8,000.

Lin also deleted the AI-generated image after posting it and the app he used, which disrupted the ensuing investigation into the matter and led to an obstruction of justice charge. This is an even more serious crime and carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

Lin is expected to be in court in November to officially answer for his crimes. The Straits Times says Lin is not expected to employ a lawyer.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had created an AI-generated image depicting a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir and sent it to his colleague. The man subsequently deleted the image and the related application in an attempt to conceal his actions,” the Singapore Police Force said in a statement.

“The Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone who communicates falsehoods. Apart from causing fear and inconvenience caused to members of the public, such falsehoods also result in public resources being unnecessarily deployed to deal with these incidents,” the police force continued.

“The Police urge the public to act responsibly and refrain from circulating false information or edited images that could cause unnecessary public alarm. The public should also not submit fabricated or manipulated information, including AI-generated or digitally altered images, to the Police or other Government agencies while presenting such information as authentic.”

AI-generated images clearly have real-world consequences. In this case, panic and wasted resources could have been better spent elsewhere. In other cases, AI-generated images have even caused global stock market changes. AI-generated images have been used to ruin lives, blackmail people, and are a significant danger to society. While an AI image of a crocodile doesn’t seem like a big deal, it absolutely can be, and may very well land a man in prison.

Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.com.