Asahi Shimbun retracts AI-altered wildlife photo
Asahi Shimbun retracted an AI-processed photograph of a raccoon holding a sea turtle that had been published in October after receiving the image from a wildlife protection group. The newspaper discovered that the image had been altered using ChatGPT to enhance clarity from night-vision footage, causing discrepancies in the animal positions compared to the original.
What happened
Asahi Shimbun published a photograph on October 3 in its evening edition and digital and regional versions depicting a raccoon holding a baby sea turtle. The image was provided by a sea turtle protection group in Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture.
The photograph had been AI-processed: the creator extracted a still from night-vision camera video and used ChatGPT to enhance clarity. The altered image differed from the original in the orientation of the turtle and the position of its legs.
On November 26, Asahi Shimbun retracted the photograph after beginning an investigation prompted by Kyodo News's retraction of the same image on November 1. The newspaper stated verification had been insufficient.
Reported impact
The photograph was presented alongside an article about hatchling sea turtles being preyed upon by raccoons on Yakushima's beaches. The image showed the raccoon clearly holding the sea turtle in its mouth.
Governance controls
Asahi Shimbun stated it would strengthen procedures to verify whether images had been processed or AI-generated and work to prevent recurrence.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.