an AI-generated social media posts It’s circulating on Facebook claiming that an “ancient sinkhole” has been opened at Red Clay Historic Park in Cleveland. It has been confirmed to be false by Park Manager Erin Medley, a new question becomes clear:
How will safe media consumption practices be affected in the age of artificial intelligence?
The news aired through a satirical Facebook page entitled “Cleveland Tennessee Breaking News.” At first glance, it seems to be an official long post, and the page writes:
“In what experts already call one of the most important archaeological discoveries in modern North American history, a massive sinkhole opened unexpectedly in the historic parks of Red Clay State, revealing a previously unknown cache of ancient artifacts.
The suspicious sinkhole is nearly 40 feet wide and over 20 feet deep, and is said to be “Nordic origin.” The page claims it was opened after the 4.1 magnitude earthquake that hit eastern Tennessee in the beginning of May.
Read more | TN residents feel an earthquake of 4.1 magnitude. The shaking lasted for a few seconds in the six southeastern parts.
This post was surprisingly believed and I had a lot of adoration in the comments section. However, when you scroll to the photos provided as “proof,” it is clear that the news may not be exactly what it looks like.
In fact, the photographs provided by Medley were sufficient to fully expose the sinkhole claim. Local 3 obtained a photo of the park (left) taken today to compare it with photos shared online two days ago.
A photo of Red Clay State Park (left) taken on Sunday, June 1st.
Medley points out that the first thing you notice is the difference in uniforms other than the huge sinkhole that isn’t there.
“We are Tennessee State Parks, and they are more national park rangers uniforms. When you look at the colour, they are smoky bear hats,” says Medley.
“None of those people work at Red Clay,” she continued. “I’ve been there for the past 20 years, so it’s a pretty familiar face over there. If it wasn’t represented by the photo, it definitely wouldn’t have happened.”
In the case of the park, the medley said the misinformation turned out to be a good thing for red clay. People were visiting the park all day long and asked about shopping at the sinkhole and gift shops.
But she warns that it could easily be different.
“They generated this topic about things that didn’t happen. Think about how it’s used. It’s not a good thing. There are people who are interested in red clay, so we’re lucky that some good things have come out, but that could also be the other way around,” says Medley.
She noted that while the post generated interest and income for the park, the negative effects are also dangerous to the situation.
“People might think, ‘Oh, I’m going to come to the red clay and dig things up and see what I can find.’ Or they might want to see the “big hole.” That’s not that good. That’s wrong. That’s a lie. ”
As a precaution against the impact of AI-generated content, Medley advises social media users to do their own research before they believe what they see online.
“Find the facts. Find the truth. Unfortunately, today, it’s much more difficult,” she says.
She also points out that viewers should look closely at content that is thought to be better than true.
For the latest updates on this story, we’ll only be presenting in three local news.
