Lava is spouting in Seoul? Viral AI-generated video sparks alarm
A video falsely claiming that lava was flowing in downtown Seoul has gone viral, raising fresh concerns about the believability of content generated by artificial intelligence.
The video, posted Monday on the social media platform Threads, begins with a news anchor delivering breaking news that 'lava is spouting in downtown Seoul.' The broadcast then cuts to a field reporter standing in front of what appears to be flowing red lava.
However, the reporter soon reveals, 'The lava behind me is not real. I am AI.' Several other characters — a student, a celebrity and a businessperson — also appear in the video, each stating they are AI-generated and warning viewers not to be deceived by appearances.
The video was created by YouTuber Ddalgak using Google's generative AI model Veo 3. It satirizes how easily people accept content without question.
In a local media interview, Ddalgak said he was inspired by a case in which a Korean woman was scammed by an AI-generated video of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. 'It was shocking that even low-quality AI technology could deceive people,' he said.
As AI-generated videos increasingly blur the line between fiction and reality, calls are growing for clearer labeling of such content. Under Korea's Basic Act on Artificial Intelligence, set to take effect in January, content produced using generative AI, including films and dramas, must be clearly marked as AI-generated.
In a related move, South Korea's largest search engine, Naver, launched a feature in May allowing creators to label AI-generated content on its platforms, including blogs, cafes, Naver TV and video clips.
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