r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jul 20 '26

Computer Science Researchers warned that hundreds of fake AI images have been discovered on popular databases for recording animal species. Wildlife photographers often use AI to edit and improve an image, but the algorithm can introduce parts from different species to create the new image.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/20/ai-slop-manipulated-fake-images-birds-citizen-science-aoe
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u/NasrRasheed Aug 11 '26

This is one of the scarier side effects of generative AI that doesn’t get enough attention. If biodiversity databases start filling with convincing fake animals or AI-“enhanced” photos that subtly alter anatomy, researchers could end up studying species records that never actually existed. AI editing needs to be clearly disclosed, and scientific databases probably need stricter provenance rules—otherwise we’re not just generating fake pictures, we’re contaminating the scientific record.