In brief
- Salem, Mass. police called the TikTok trend “stupid and potentially dangerous” in a public safety alert.
- Videos showing AI “intruders” have triggered real emergency calls and alarmed family members.
- Critics say the prank dehumanizes unhoused people while exposing risks of AI-generated deception.
Police departments from Massachusetts to Texas are warning residents about a viral TikTok prank that uses AI-generated images to make it appear that a homeless man has entered someone’s home, prompting panicked calls to 911,
“Besides being in bad taste, there are many reasons why this prank is, to put it bluntly, stupid and potentially dangerous,” said the Salem, Mass. Police Department, in a statement. That police department issued a public alert and detailed cases in which recipients “sincerely believed that there was an actual intruder” and dialed 911, necessitating immediate response by officers.
In Texas, police have also confronted the fallout from the viral prank. The Houston Chronicle reported that officers in Round Rock
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Author: Josh Quittner
