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Fact vs fiction: Viral lion video an AI-generated clip

Fact vs fiction: Viral lion video an AI-generated clip

The Citizen17-07-2025
A video of a lion walking into a South African supermarket and helping itself to massive steaks on the shelves has been debunked as fake.
The video clip has been shared widely across several social media platforms, garnering millions of views from all sides of the world.
However, fact checking NGO Africa Check earlier this week confirmed that the video is, in fact, an AI-generated clip.
The video has been made in such a way that it appears to be CCTV footage, and shows a massive male lion entering a supermarket and devouring meat from the shelves.
According to Africa Check's full story, while numerous social media accounts have shared the video as legitimate footage, the original TikTok video carries the label: 'Creator labelled as AI generated'.
While the initial parts of the video could pass as real, about halfway through, the meat appears decidedly fake.
Watch the original video here:
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