Monkeys are incredible escape artists, known to escape research laboratories and even crashing trucks on the highway.
Even private enclosures are no match for clever and scheming simians. Last week, several vervet monkeys, which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, were spotted roaming the streets of St. Louis, Missouri, alarming authorities.
No one knows how many of them there are, or where they come from. It is also illegal to keep vervet monkeys in the city, so if they are escaped pets, owners cannot take responsibility for losing them.
“This is the first time we’ve had to deal with a large-scale monkey-dealing situation in the city of St. Louis,” said Justin Hauser, the health department’s environmental bureau chief. told nbc news-associated ksdk On 9th January.
But apart from the innate challenges of catching agile mammals – as well escaped goat Carelessness is happening in Mound City, too – the St. Louis Health Department is being frustrated by a new hurdle: the generative AI slop.
In form of associated Press reportsThe AI-generated images are complicating rescue efforts as residents are posting fake images online claiming to have seen the monkeys.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about AI and what’s real and what’s not,” said Willie Springer, a spokesman for the city health department. AP. “People are just having fun. Like, I don’t feel like hurting anyone.”
AI-generated images circulated on Twitter show monkeys join a local gang And hanging on the stoop. the second shows them Drinking from 40-Ounce Malt Liquor Bottles.
While many of the photos were created as a joke, AI-based image generators have advanced to the point where they can easily come up with realistic-looking images of even runaway monkeys, leading authorities to pursue the goose.
Springer admitted he didn’t even know how many monkeys were out in the open, saying the number could be as high as four.
“Original reports indicate there were four animals, but we cannot confirm the actual number at this time, only that there are more than one,” Hauser told BBC.
Experts from the St. Louis Zoo have since joined the efforts, warning that residents should leave the monkeys alone.
“Monkeys can be intelligent but can also be unpredictable at times,” Hauser said. ksdk Last week.
Apart from complicating rescue efforts for escaped monkeys, generic AI has already become a major headache for the authorities. For example, police were forced to issue a warning in October when children began sending AI-manipulated photos of themselves welcoming homeless men into their homes.
More about escaped monkeys: University denies that monkeys that escaped from truck crash were infected with deadly diseases
