CHIBA — The city of Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, has released a video created with the help of generative artificial intelligence (AI) depicting a garbage truck and waste management center going up in flames, aimed at warning people about the dangers of improperly disposing of lithium-ion batteries.
The nearly three-and-a-half-minute video, titled “The Hazards of Lithium-Ion Batteries and How to Properly Dispose of them,” dramatizes the consequences of improper disposal and encourages residents to dispose of batteries properly.
The video was released on YouTube on March 30th. It begins with actual footage of an experiment demonstrating the dangers of lithium-ion batteries. In one experiment, when a battery was struck with a pickaxe, it spun violently, emitting sparks.
AI-generated sequences depict disasters that lithium-ion batteries can cause. In one scene, an excavator truck is moving waste when suddenly an explosion occurs. Another video shows the local Narashino City Clean Center, which manages waste, being engulfed in flames, with staff trapped under a pile of rubbish as the center becomes inoperable. It also depicts the city hall being engulfed in flames and the city’s mascot, Narashid, running away to the sound of eerie music.
The video explains that fires endanger the lives of workers and cause huge damages, ranging from about 10 million yen (approximately $62,600) if the garbage truck catches fire to tens of billions of yen if the entire clean center is destroyed.
Finally, it instructs viewers to check their appliances and manuals, remove lithium-ion batteries, and dispose of them on their hazardous waste collection day.
According to the city, there were two accidents caused by lithium-ion batteries in Narashino in 2025, both of which occurred while garbage was being moved with an excavator.
To prevent such accidents, the city government created the video using free software and other means without investing additional funds.
A city official said, “Staff members came up with ideas to create an impactful video that would attract the interest of many residents.We want people to know that fires can be prevented by learning how to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries.”
[Takashi Ishizuka]
