Fake videos generated by AI spread on social media after the Great East Japan Earthquake

This fake video shows a woman reporting that a tsunami has hit the coast. It has been viewed over 20,000 times on TikTok. However, the “newscaster” and tsunami suspicions are fake. They were created using AI. The post was later deleted.

Some videos make grossly unscientific claims. This is a false suggestion that solar flares can cause large earthquakes. It has been viewed 720,000 times on YouTube.

Fake news is not limited to videos. A post claiming an earthquake would occur on December 8th was widely shared on X, with many commenters claiming to have foreseen the disaster.

However, this account makes groundless earthquake “predictions” almost every day. Any duplication is purely coincidental.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says information specifying a specific time and location where an earthquake is likely to occur is likely to be fake.

Government warns against fake news, calls for vigilance

The morning after the earthquake, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged the public to be wary of unconfirmed information spread after past disasters.

However, two days after the earthquake, Kihara said the government had identified false data on the internet. “The dissemination of false information has the potential to affect socio-economic activities and disaster response, and should never be tolerated. I urge everyone to be extremely careful,” he said.

He reiterated his call to the public to rely on government information sources and trusted media sites in the event of a disaster.

How and why fake news spreads after a disaster

NHK World's Junya Yabuuchi, who is in charge of countering misinformation and disinformation, explains how and why fake news spreads after a disaster.

He says there are two main reasons why this happens. First, there are people who seek attention after a disaster. During disasters, people are in desperate need of information. This is a great opportunity for those who want to gain followers and reactions.

The second reason is money. Some social media sites offer monetization systems. For example, on X, the more views a post receives, the more revenue a user receives. Therefore, some people create fake news because they know it will attract a lot of attention.

Some may resort to direct fraud. Posing as a disaster victim and begging users to send money.

The quality of AI is improving rapidly

Videos created by generative AI are everywhere. This is not a new trend and has been around for years. We have seen them after disasters such as the Myanmar earthquake, and they seemed unreal.

But since OpenAI's Sora 2 was released in September, creating high-quality AI videos has become easier. Nowadays, it is difficult to tell the difference between AI video and real video.

How to deal with fake news

Yabuuchi says the first thing to do when you spot a fake post is to remember that these fake posts are preying on your emotions. Many people feel anxious after a disaster. This makes it easier for anxiety-inducing posts to spread online. When you see a post that touches your emotions, stop and take a deep breath.

Then, take a look at who posted and see what they usually say. Remember, anyone can be fooled by fake news, especially AI videos. If you don't know where the information is coming from, don't share it. When in doubt, look to what public authorities and trusted media outlets are saying. That's the best way to protect yourself from fake news.