AI-generated images fuel pet-eating rumors about immigrants
AI-generated images of immigrants with cats and ducks went viral on social media in September 2024, amplifying baseless rumors about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio attacking household pets. The images, created using tools like Grok and shared by high-profile accounts including Elon Musk, contributed to real-world harm including bomb threats against buildings.
What happened
AI-generated images depicting immigrants attacking household pets went viral on social media, fueling false rumors about pet abductions and killings. High-profile accounts, including tech billionaire Elon Musk's, shared cartoonish images made with artificial intelligence tools including Musk's Grok service and a Chinese-owned app.
Users created images and videos in seconds to suggest that Trump would protect animals while Vice President Kamala Harris would not. Some images were openly prejudiced, showing Black people chasing after cats, including one widely shared example depicting an AI-generated Trump running through a field with cats while Black men ran after him. The images accumulated tens of millions of views and reached Trump's own social media accounts.
Reported impact
The false claims about immigrants abducting and eating household pets had real-world consequences in Springfield, Ohio, including bomb threats made against buildings. The AI-generated images dramatically accelerated the spread of baseless rumors that had started with thinly sourced anecdotes shared at government meetings and on social media.
Index analysis
AI-generated images proved more engaging and shareable than text alone, spreading faster at scale than traditional meme-making methods. An assistant professor of journalism noted that AI democratized meme-making by eliminating the need to know photo-editing software like Photoshop, allowing rapid production and dissemination of fabricated content.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.