AI footage creates confusion as veritable monkey gang roams St. Louis

Last Thursday, vervet monkeys were seen near a park in Saint-Louis. No one knows who owns the monkeys or why they roam free. But as city police and health officials try to keep tabs on these little guys, one aspect of our modern age is making things complicated. People are posting AI-generated photos and videos on social media claiming to have found the monkeys, according to the Associated Press.

“The Department of Health first became aware of the situation through reports from residents, as well as a reported sighting by a St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer. Currently, the origin of these animals is unknown,” the local health department said. First alert 4.

“A Department of Health and Animal Control officer was dispatched on Thursday, January 8 to investigate, but was unable to locate the animals. On Friday, January 9, several officers patrolled the area based on continued reports of sightings, but the monkeys have still not been found,” the department’s statement continued.

St. Louis Health Department spokesman Willie Springer told the AP that people had posted fake images of the monkeys online, even claiming to have captured the monkeys. And it’s hard to tell what’s real.

“It’s been a lot of stuff around AI and what’s authentic and what’s not,” Springer told the AP. “People are just having fun. Like I don’t think anyone wants to do any harm.” The Health Ministry did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s questions Monday afternoon.

Some of the fake monkey images are quite transparently fake, like those in the form of Instagram Reels set to music by the Monkees music group. Others also show the Sora Watermarkindicating that they were created with OpenAI’s video creation tool. But a large percentage of the public doesn’t seem to know that a Sora watermark means a video is fake.

Then there are the AI ​​videos that show monkeys doing ridiculous things, like steal cars:

To top it all off, there are also claims of a random goat wandering around St. Louis, although the photos are posted on Facebook it could also be AI. It’s hard to say in the age of AI, when we I can’t believe your own eyes anymore.

Animal control is reportedly in discussions with experts at the St. Louis Zoo to try to find the monkeys. But even if they are found, their owners are unlikely to come forward, according to First Alert 4. It is illegal to keep monkeys in the city.

Anyone in St. Louis who sees monkeys (in real life, not online) is asked to call Animal Care and Control at 314-657-1500.