Artificial Intelligence (AI) is posing an unlikely challenge for the forest department and wildlife conservationists. Since the past week, an AI-generated image of a Royal Bengal tiger in Mulund, near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), has been going viral on social media, sparking unnecessary panic among locals. After the image was forwarded to groups and NGOs working for wildlife conservation, they made it clear to residents that the picture is fake, as there are no Royal Bengal tigers in SGNP.
Forest department officials are working to raise awareness among locals, urging them not to fall for AI-generated images. They advise the public to report any attempts to spread misinformation directly to the department. Advocate Pawan Sharma, founder and president, Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), said that AI is a powerful man-made invention and tool, but it should not be misused to create content that spreads panic and distress.
Can be legal trouble
“It takes years for the forest department and conservation groups to spread awareness to promote coexistence and show wildlife in a positive light. Such attempts reverse our efforts. People should be aware of such misleading and fraudulent information. One must not share or spread news or information without verification from the authorities concerned.
Creators of such content should be aware that they can be in legal trouble if the authorities track them down as such action amount to a violation of laws such as the Information Technology IT Act, 2000; Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; Disaster Management Act, 2005; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023,” said Sharma.
Leopard scare
A video claiming to show four leopards roaming on a road in Chiplun, Ratnagiri district, recently went viral. However, it was later confirmed that the video was fake. In Nashik, too, panic was created due to AI-generated images of a leopard roaming the streets of the city.
AI should not be misused
Rohit Mohite from NGO Wildlife Welfare Association said, “While AI offers great potential in wildlife monitoring and conflict management, it is also increasingly being misused to create and circulate false information.
The fake AI generated Mulund picture which was circulated caused unnecessary panic among residents and led to the forest department and other government agencies being occupied with verifying a completely false event. Such misinformation not only disrupts official operations but also creates confusion among the public.
As responsible citizens, we must ensure that AI is used as a resourceful tool to aid conservation, enhance awareness, and support conflict management efforts rather than to spread fear or misinformation. AI should strengthen our coexistence with wildlife, not challenge it.”
