Westbrook Police Department shares AI-altered drug evidence photo on Facebook
Westbrook Police Department in Maine inadvertently shared a photo editing app-altered image of drug evidence on Facebook after using the app to insert the department's patch. The editing process unintentionally generated AI-altered elements including gibberish text and hazy edges. The department issued a public apology and confirmed the original evidence exists.
What happened
An officer at Westbrook Police Department in Maine took a photo of drug evidence seized during a bust on Brackett Street. The officer used a photo editing app to add the department's patch to the image.
When the editing app added the patch, it also altered the packaging of the evidence and other attributes in the photograph, including generating gibberish text. The edited image was sent to a Facebook administrator who posted it to the department's social media account.
Social media users criticized the image for its gibberish text and hazy edges. The department initially denied AI had been used before confirming use of an AI chatbot. The department issued a public apology and acknowledged it should have scrutinized the image more carefully.
Reported impact
The incident drew public criticism on social media regarding the authenticity and reliability of the evidence image shared by the police department.
Index analysis
The photo editing app inadvertently generated AI-altered elements when inserting the police department's patch, including altered packaging and gibberish text that were not present in the original image.
Governance controls
Westbrook police stated they will invite news media to view the original evidence to demonstrate it exists. The department characterized the incident as a lesson learned and committed to remaining fully transparent.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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