Spokane Police Released AI-Generated Image of Officer With Rescued Dog
The Spokane Police Department distributed an AI-generated image to media showing an officer holding a rescued dog with a broken leg, without initially disclosing it was fabricated. The image was created as a joke by detectives and passed through the department's chain of command with each person believing it was real until publication. The department acknowledged the incident and stated it would strengthen internal verification procedures.
What happened
The Spokane Police Department created an AI-generated image as a joke showing an officer holding a rescued dachshund with a cast on its front leg. The image was originally created by detectives and then passed to a supervisor who believed it to be real. A communications official requested photos of the incident, and the supervisor unknowingly passed the AI-generated image to that official.
The image was published by The Spokesman-Review newspaper after the police department distributed it. The Spokesman-Review had initially cropped the photo to remove identifying features of the officer per police request, but the department did not initially disclose that the image was AI-generated. The officer depicted was real and undercover, but the dog and the scene were fabricated.
Reported impact
The publication of the AI-generated image created a risk of misinformation, as readers could not distinguish the fabricated image from a real photograph. The incident revealed gaps in verification processes for images before public distribution.
Index analysis
The AI-generated image contained several unrealistic details that could have indicated it was fake upon close examination, including a pirate-era flintlock pistol as the officer's sidearm, incongruous branded products in the background, and the illogical placement of a cast on the dog's leg in what was supposedly a rescue scene.
Governance controls
The Spokane Police Department and City of Spokane stated they would review and strengthen internal processes to prevent such incidents in the future, citing the need for verification procedures and check-and-balance processes before images are shared publicly. The department characterized the incident as a genuine mistake rather than an intentional deception.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.