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After seeing a Malaysian couple ride a scenic cable car on social media, they drove over 370km from Kuala Lumpur to Pera.
Upon arrival they found out that even the place didn't exist. (Photo credit: Facebook)
The Malaysian couple traveled over 370km from Kuala Lumpur to Pera after watching videos of them riding a scenic cable car on social media. However, when they arrived at their destination, they learned that the place did not exist. The videos that influenced their trips were created using artificial intelligence (AI).
According to an independent UK report, the elderly couple traveled to Penkaran Furu in western Penkaran last month. They came across what appeared to be a news segment by their local channel “TV Rakyat” and promoted “Kuak Skyride” on a Kuak Hulu cable car. The video shows tourists queuing at the ticket booth taking photos and enjoying deer enclosures near the forest, streams and even Belling Mountain.
It also included a female reporter with a microphone who interviewed visitors and later enjoyed a gorgeous meal as part of the experience. In one scene, an elderly woman performs a handstand. When she flips over, her body contorts unnaturally into a lump before returning to her legs. This is obviously one of the signs that the video wasn't real.
According to a post in a thread shared by a hotel worker named Daya in Jerick on June 30, the couple asked her if they had visited the Kuak Full cable car. That's when she informed them that the video was generated by AI.
“I was so shocked…I explained to my aunt that the video wasn't real (made by AI),” Daya wrote in her post.
However, the woman seemed confused and replied, “Why do everyone want to lie? There were even reporters (on the video).” She added that she didn't see comments pointing out that the video was fake and even mentions she wanted to sue the journalist.
Daya said she must make it clear that the journalists featured in the video are not real people either. When she asked the couple why they didn't check on the kids before traveling, they admitted they felt embarrassed. “Please, you guys, please eagerly ask your travelling parents and ask where they are going to Perak from KL,” Daya added in her post.
Authorities have since confirmed that there are no cable car projects in the area. “Of course, it doesn't exist… but I admitted it was exciting to watch. We were entertained, even if it was just generated content,” Baling District Officer Yazlan Sunardie Che Yahaya told the Sinar Harian newspaper.
Baling's Deputy District Police Chief Ahmad Salimi MD Ali said no formal complaints or reports have been filed in connection with the video. However, he urged the public to verify the content before sharing. “Checks carried out at both Baling and Pengkalan Hulu confirmed that there is no such cable car project,” he told Malay Mail.
He also said that police could take action under existing laws if such content creates unnecessary panic or disrupts public order.
The News18.com team of writers brings you stories about what's making the internet buzz while exploring science, cricket, technology, gender, Bollywood and culture.
The News18.com team of writers brings you stories about what's making the internet buzz while exploring science, cricket, technology, gender, Bollywood and culture.
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Delhi, India, India
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