BLACKSBURG, Va. – As the devastation from Hurricane Helene continues to unfold, rumors and AI-generated images of the storm’s aftermath are spreading rapidly on social media, fueling misinformation and scams targeting vulnerable individuals.
The potential dangers of artificial intelligence have long been discussed, but Helene offers a real-life example of how AI can be misused. Misinformation about federal disaster assistance and computer-generated images of storm damage, including viral photos of stranded dogs and a child holding a puppy during a rescue, are leading to confusion and fraudulent donation schemes.
Virginia Tech experts weighed in on the challenges of AI-generated images and how to spot fake images.
Julia Feerrar is the head of digital literacy at Virginia Tech’s University Libraries. She pointed to several red flags that often indicate an image has been generated by AI.
“We have very smooth surfaces to her skin and to really all that we’re seeing here,” said Feerrar about the viral AI-generated image of a little girl holding a puppy during a rescue. “We also have a really, really shallow depth of field where everything is blurry in the background in a way that just feels sort of strange.”
Feerrar gave some tips on how to spot fake images such as vetting social media posts, using reverse image search tools and looking out for images that have details that feel “off”. She also advised people to look closely at hands, feet, reflections, and shadows in suspect images.
“If this image is used with maybe a donation link or something that’s trying to get me to take action, that’s where I’m really going to take a little bit more time to find some more information” Feerrar explained.
Dr. Cayce Myers, professor and director of graduate studies at Virginia Tech’s School of Communication, warned that scams aren’t the only concern.
“There is such ease in disseminating fake information in today’s world with social media and AI, that what you end up having is a situation where the damage could be to society as a whole, their trust, and the ability to make decisions,” Myers said.
Federal agencies, including FEMA, are also working to combat the spread of false information. Trey Paul, a media relations specialist for FEMA, emphasized the importance of turning to official sources for disaster aid information.
“We are working to earn the trust of survivors every day. We come into these territories, these towns, and we set up shop. And we’re here to help,” Paul said. He urged anyone impacted by Helene to contact FEMA directly.
FEMA offers assistance to homeowners and renters with or without insurance. To learn about the assistance available and how to apply:
- Visit disasterassistance.gov
- Call 1 (800) 621-3362
- Go in-person to a Disaster Recovery Center
A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is currently open in Damascus, Virginia located at 736 N Beaver Dam Ave, Damascus, VA 24236. Now that disaster declarations have been approved for other counties in Southwest Virginia, more centers will be more opening in the coming days and weeks.
Feerrar recommended several fact-checking websites, including Snopes and PolitiFact.