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National Post
10 hours ago
- National Post
'This can only get worse': Who's behind the fake AI-generated images of B.C. wildfires?
Article content But he added that the situation also highlights the potential for a more 'apocalyptic scenario' where adversaries use an automated process to unleash not just one or two fake images, but thousands, in an orchestrated campaign. Article content 'This can only get worse from here,' he said. Article content In its response, B.C. Wildfire Service said the AI images 'do not accurately represent the terrain, fire size or fire behaviour in the area. Someone scrolling past could believe this image is real or accurate when it is not.' Article content The wildfire service encouraged people to 'identify your own trusted sources' before you need them. Article content Article content Article content Abdul-Mageed said organizations, such as the government, must be prepared to respond to increasing misinformation. The public also needs to be informed, particularly as it will soon become even more difficult to tell the difference between real and AI-generated images. Article content 'Stop and think. Don't share,' he said. 'Don't share even to debunk. Report these images to B.C. Wildfire or the proper authorities.' Article content Article content Farid put it more bluntly: 'Nobody in their right mind should be turning to social media for reliable information, and certainly not during an emergency.' Postmedia was unable to reach Joemar Sombero for comment, but he replied to several people who commented on his post to defend the images. Article content 'The images and write-ups I share are AI-generated for illustrative purposes only and are always tagged with a disclaimer,' he wrote. 'My goal is never to sensationalize but to raise awareness about the severity of these events and the impact they have on communities. I understand how important it is to remain sensitive, and I'll continue to be mindful moving forward. Thank you for holding me accountable.' Article content In another reply, he said his goal was not to scare anyone, but to keep them informed and prepared. Article content With 43,000 followers on Facebook, Sombero typically makes several posts per day about disasters and natural phenomenon. While the posts focus on events around the world, a number come from B.C., including a recent post about a bear attack near Creston when a couple out for a bike ride encountered two grizzlies. He has also posted about the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison Hot Springs, which included another AI-generated fire image without a disclaimer. Article content The introduction to his Facebook page provides a more general description of Sombero's purpose: 'Sharing random bits of creativity — AI art, nature scenes, and moments that inspire.' He also has an Instagram account. Article content Many of Sombero's posts draw attention to climate change, including a recent one that shows the smoke from Canadian wildfires spilling into the United States. The credited satellite image is from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-3 satellite.
CBC
5 days ago
- CBC
Meta apologies after GTA teacher wrongly accused of child exploitation
A history teacher in Vaughan, Ont., had her Instagram account reinstated after it was mistakenly shut down by Meta. As CBC's Sarah MacMillan explains, the incident highlights emerging problems as AI replaces human moderators.
Montreal Gazette
04-08-2025
- Montreal Gazette
LaSalle woman battles to keep her social media-star pig, Timothy
By Sunday, more than 4,000 people had signed a petition saying Sandra Propetto should be permitted to keep her 11-year-old pet potbellied pig, Timothy. 'He's not just any pig; he's family and the bond we share is irreplaceable,' the LaSalle resident wrote on her petition, which she launched July 30. By Sunday evening, it had more than 4,000 signatures. Pigs have never been permitted as pets in Montreal. In 2018, an order was adopted whereby those who already had pet pigs were permitted to keep them — as long as they procured a permit within a 30-day window that year and they renewed the permit every year. They were, in effect, grandfathered. Propetto, 36, says she was unaware of that order and so never applied for a permit. In mid-July, she was advised by a city worker there had been complaints about Timmy and, furthermore, he was not registered in 2018. Propetto asked if she could pay the permit fees retroactively and keep Timmy, but was told she had 30 days to have him re-homed. Propetto said she has tried unsuccessfully to discover what the complaints are. 'I am being sent everywhere. I don't know who has this list or why they didn't provide it initially. I still have no idea what the complaints could be.' She knows 'a lot of people think of pigs as dirty. But these are not pigs that are bred to be slaughtered. These are domesticated pigs. These are pets.' Timmy is hypoallergenic, for one, and has no odour. 'My house is so clean,' she said. I take care of my place and I take care of him. He is so clean.' When Propetto brought him home from the breeder in 2014, he was eight weeks old and weighed 10 or 15 pounds. Now, he weighs about 136 pounds. All these years, he has been a loving, beloved and intelligent companion animal. 'Timmy can do remarkable things like giving his paw (or rather, hoof), playing the piano, spinning for treats and he gives kisses,' she says in her petition. 'He is exceptionally tidy, signalling at the door when he needs to go outside to do his 'business' and consistently using the same designated areas. He also enjoys cuddling and sleeping under duvet covers, a charming reflection of his unique temperament.' Timothy also has an Instagram account, with more than 40,000 followers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Timothy & Sandra (@timothy_the_mini_pig) Growing up, Propetto's parents never wanted her to have pets. 'And I said: 'When I move out of here, I am going to have animals — and when I learned about pigs, I said I wanted one.' Why a pig? 'I love animals,' she said. 'And I have always wanted weird animals. I am a creative person, an artist. I had a snake before. I had a hedgehog.' Her parents have come to love Timmy, Propetto said. 'My dad was never really an animal person but, when Timmy was much smaller, he would jump on the couch and cuddle with him. It sparked something in him.' Propetto said she reached out on the Facebook pages of a few LaSalle websites to ask if Timmy was bothersome to anyone and 'so many people said: 'We love Timmy.' Kids come by from the daycare and chant his name.' That's in part what inspired her to launch the petition, she said. Propetto lives in a semi-basement unit of a building with a large backyard. The landlady, who lives upstairs, initially didn't want a tenant with a pet, but has come to adore Timothy, she said. 'We have a garden planted for him. He eats fruits and vegetables,' Propetto said. She has a leash and a harness for him, but it's not necessary to walk him. 'He has the big yard and I pick up after him.' Timothy eats pig chow morning and evening and, during the day, fruits and vegetables from the garden during the day, including kale, tomatoes and his favourites — carrots and red peppers. And now that he is a senior pig, 'he doesn't want to walk around too much,' she said. 'He goes outside, stands still a little bit and wants to go inside and sleep. I call him my grumpy old man. He is around 75 in human years.' Propetto works in claims management and, when she goes to the office once or twice a week, she leaves the television on for him — with cartoons playing. @timothypig On Monday evening, she is registered to speak at LaSalle council's monthly meeting. Propetto said she will state her case in the hope she will be granted some kind of exemption so she can have a permit for Timothy. 'I would love to have the opportunity to register him properly,' Propetto said, adding she would happily pay any arrears. 'He has a few years left. I want to be able for him to live out those years with me.' The lifespan of potbellied pigs is 10 to 15 years and Propetto said she can't imagine him not spending his last years with her. There are a couple of places that can take him, but the idea of giving him up 'breaks my heart,' she said. 'I am the only mom he has known. He has a giant bed and mattress here. I would miss him so much and wonder how he would take it.'
