Florida woman uses AI to make false assault claim

A Florida woman was arrested after using artificial intelligence (AI) to make a false assault claim, highlighting the dangers of a recent social media trend.

Brooke Schinault called St. Petersburg police on October 7th to report a stranger breaking into her house. While she didn’t know the person, she provided a photo of the suspect sitting on her couch, the SmokingGun reports.

As police continued with the investigation, Schinault contacted the officers again, saying she remembered that the suspect sexually assaulted her.

After closer inspection, officers realized the image was fake and part of a social media trend that involves pranking loved ones by sending AI-generated photos of strangers hanging out in their homes.

The investigation revealed the photo was created using ChatGPT. The image was found in a deleted folder and dated days before Schinault called the police.

Schinault was arrested for a false crime report and spent a night in jail before posting a $1,000 bond.

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Multiple police departments across the United States issued warnings about the AI intruder prank.

The Yonkers Police Department stated in October that such pranks resulted in several 911 calls reporting intruders, prompting police to respond quickly with lights and sirens.

“That’s not just a waste of resources… It’s a real safety risk for officers who are responding and for the family members who are home if our officers get there before the prank is revealed and rush into the home to apprehend this “intruder” that doesn’t exist,” the department’s Facebook account reads.

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