🐻 AI-Generated Videos of Bear Attacks Cause Panic in Japan

A huge brown bear climbs up a residential building—AI videos like this are getting millions of views on Japanese social media and causing panic among locals ⤴️

This year in Japan, the number of bear attacks on people has indeed doubled compared to 2024. Already, 13 people have died and more than 100 have been seriously injured. Between April and September, authorities recorded more than 20,000 bear sightings in residential areas—a 30% increase compared with the same period in 2024.

Experts blame poor acorn and beechnut crops, which form the base of the animals' diet. Attacks peak in October and November, when bears search for food before hibernation.

Still, about 60% of the viral videos of bear attacks analyzed by journalists from the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper turned out to be generated by the Sora 2. Some are highly realistic: you can identify the location, which only adds to the confusion for local residents.

Such videos can pose a real threat, as people who do not recognize the fake may behave incorrectly when encountering an animal. In some videos, people feed bears or fight them, which is extremely dangerous.

@hiaimediaen