THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 27, 2025 at 14:25 JST
ONAGAWA, Miyagi Prefecture—Red-faced local officials issued an apology and correction after finding their social media alert about a bear sighting was based on a fake image generated by artificial intelligence.
Officials initially warned residents via the town's official X (formerly Twitter) account that a bear had been spotted around 7 p.m. on Nov. 25 near a nursery school in the town’s Ohara district.
Accompanying the warning was a photo provided by a source of a bear roaming around a local neighborhood.
Social media users soon began questioning the authenticity of the image, suggesting it might be AI generated.
Upon investigation, the image’s creator admitted it was fabricated with generative AI, and the reported sighting itself was false.
The town released a correction and apology on the evening of Nov. 26, acknowledging that the initial post had caused unnecessary anxiety and confusion despite being intended as a safety precaution.
Local authorities said the photo was submitted by an acquaintance of a colleague of the original informant who believed it was genuine and reported it to the town.
In its correction, town officials pledged to improve both the accuracy and speed of future communications.
Officials stressed that, despite the false report, residents should remain vigilant as bear encounters are a real risk.
(This article was written by Ryo Oyama and Yu Mimura.)
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This photo, which appeared to show a bear in a neighborhood in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, was later revealed to have been made with generative artificial intelligence. (Captured from Onagawa’s official X account)
