Police make urgent appeal to public as AI homeless man prank goes viral
A new trend on social media has caused police officials to make an urgent appeal, warning people about the consequences of using AI to generate images of homeless people in absurd viral pranks.
It didn't take long for trends involving artificial intelligence to become viral across social media, as you've likely already seen people use the large language model (LLM) tools to generate fictional yearbook photos or turn their profile pictures into Studio Ghibli-like 'art'.
Inevitably this would eventually turn into something more complex (and nefarious, perhaps) once the technology itself started to improve, and that appears to be the case thanks to a new trend involving homeless people.
If you've not yet encountered it, the TikTok trend that people are widely referring to as the 'AI homeless man prank' involves people sending AI-generated images to their parents or partners where a homeless person is inside their house.
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It often begins with the homeless person at the door claiming that they know the person that's being pranked, before the pranker lets them in the house. They can then be seen sitting on the sofa, eating out of the fridge, sleeping in beds, and even asking for money — and, of course, none of this is real.
The prank itself is an absurd attempt to stir up panic, confusion, and fear in the recipient of the messages, and it appears to often lead to the police being called, with some creators sharing videos of authorities leaving their house after the false report.
This has led one police force to issue a stern warning to anyone engaging in the new trend, as Round Rock Patrol Commander Andy McKinney addressed the viral prank in a new interview with KXAN News.
"Andy McKinney sat down with the anchors to share how seemingly harmless online trends can quickly turn serious — leading to panicked 9-1-1 calls from concerned family members and triggering a full police response," the police force wrote on X.
"Please take this as another friendly reminder to talk with your loved ones about the real-world consequences of participating in trends that may seem funny online but can result in officers responding to what appears to be a burglary or home invasion.
"These situations not only create unnecessary risks but can also tie up emergency resources and delay responses to real emergencies," the post continued.
Given the popularity of these videos and the desire for many to gain notoriety and attention on social media, it's doubtful that we've seen the last of this specific prank, alongside any other AI-related trends that might result in similar outcomes.