Helene Hoaxes: The first, but not last, major storm with AI photos

Hurricane Helene has brought a flood of AI photos and conspiracy theories to social media. And Hurricane Milton isn't far behind.

Unless you've lived under a rock for the last year, you've seen photos on social media that just don't look quite right because they were created by a computer. Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. Suddenly even seasoned photographers are having trouble telling the difference -- or being accused of using computers to fabricate photos themselves.

Hurricane Helene was one of the first widespread, major disasters in the United States to occur in this new age of AI, and now Hurricane Milton is on its way to Florida. As a result, social media is clogged with fake imagery and the typical conspiracy theories that sprout there.

Count the fingers!

An Oklahoma news anchor begged his Facebook followers to stop sharing the A.I. images, warning that some are associated with illegitimate fundraising sites.

"This dude with the dog has six or seven fingers, and the little girl only had four on one hand. When in doubt, count the fingers!"

Why does it matter if a photo is fake or real?

It's reasonable to ask, "Who cares?" if you accidentally share an A.I.-generated photo that raises awareness of the plight of hurricane victims. For one thing, what goes up must come down, so you could be inadvertently reducing the reach of critical information from news or relief organizations that could save someone's life.

Social media companies pay users based on the number of shares and engagement a post garners, so these pages are making money off people sharing the posts. However, almost none of them are donating the money to charity, even if they say they are. If you really want to support the victims, donate through a reputable organization. Less sharing of A.I. images results in more eyes on legitimate organizations posting real photos.

How can I tell if a photo was generated by A.I.?

As the news anchor pointed out, A.I. has trouble drawing fingers, but it's getting better, and soon, this won't be a way to identify them for sure. Blurry backgrounds are another red flag. Are there weird out-of-place objects or letters that don't spell anything? If the image looks "smooth" or cartoonish or just not real, that's another sign.

Use a website for image sourcing like Images.Google.com. If you can't find the original image, it's likely fake. You can also use sites like AIorNot.com to see the likelihood of a photo being A.I.

Zoom into the photo we showed at the top of this story. What's wrong with the girl's eye? Those mountains in the background don't look like anything in North America. Is that a tree melting into the side of the house? Why does the raft look torn in multiple spots? What's wrong with the dog's face? Is his paw even attached?

Politicians weigh in on conspiracy theories

As they always do, conspiracy theories related to Hurricane Helene are spreading like wildfire. Kevin Corbin, a Republican Senator from southwestern North Carolina, said on Facebook Thursday night in frustration:

"Friends can I ask a small favor? Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in Western North Carolina?"

Conspiracy theories that he referred to in the post included FEMA stealing money, denying people body bags, stacks of bodies left at hospitals and the government controlling the weather.

"I'm growing a bit weary of international distractions from the main job," Corbin added, "which is to help out citizens in need.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper pointed out that claims that the state government isn't doing anything may "demoralize” the hundreds of National Guard troops on site.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross were both forced to debunk conspiracy theories by posting diatribes on their own social media.

No, the government doesn't control the weather

One popular conspiracy theory is the government controls the weather and creates hurricanes to punish certain states. If that's true, why can't they better forecast it?

It's not only social media but popular tools like Google Maps that can broadcast misinformation. On Thursday, the Knoxville Sentinel was forced to publish a story saying that Interstate 40 wouldn't be closed until September 2025 after someone added the report to Google Maps. Anyone can submit reports to Google or other traffic apps; there's no fact-checking and no way to report incorrect information.