AI-generated fake animal abuse story causes police response in China
A resident of Guiyang used AI software to generate a false story about cat abuse near Wenchang Pavilion and posted it with photos from the internet, causing nationwide concern and police investigation. Police confirmed no abuse had occurred and issued the poster an administrative penalty.
What happened
On September 8, 2025, a resident of Guiyang posted content on Xiaohongshu and WeChat claiming that multiple cats near Wenchang Pavilion had been abused or killed, with eyes gouged out and limbs severed. The post triggered widespread national attention and reached Weibo trending topics.
Police investigation revealed that the user 廖某某 had generated the article using AI software without verifying information, collected five images of injured cats from the internet, and posted them to social media. Subsequent police inquiry of residents who regularly feed stray cats at the location found they had never seen the cats in the photos.
Reported impact
Between September 8 and 10, the Wenchang Pavilion police station received 17 emergency calls from across China and 40 complaint cases referred through the 12345 municipal service hotline. Police conducted extensive door-to-door inquiries in the area and reviewed approximately one month of surveillance footage but found no evidence of cat abuse.
Index analysis
廖某某 admitted to using AI to generate the text of the post and downloaded the cat injury photos from the internet without verification. She stated her intent was to raise public awareness about animal welfare.
Governance controls
Police located the information source through technical tracing and identified 廖某某 as the poster. She admitted to fabricating facts and disturbing public order, and was administratively punished by police. She also recorded an apology video statement.
Police emphasized that the internet is not beyond legal jurisdiction and urged residents to verify information before posting.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.