A 30-year-old Myanmar man is being prosecuted in Singapore after sending an AI-generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir to colleagues, causing chaos. Authorities mobilized forces to search for the crocodile and ordered a halt to water activities.
Ye Lin, a 30-year-old Myanmar national, appeared in a Singapore court on Tuesday, 29 Sep 2020 GMT+7 after sending an AI-generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir. This prompted authorities to mobilize a search and suspend water activities in the area before it was confirmed the image was fake. The man also deleted the image and his usage history of the Gemini app from his phone to destroy evidence. He faces two charges: spreading false messages and obstructing justice. Through an interpreter, he stated his intention to plead guilty and declined to hire a lawyer.
The case began around 15:00 on 20 Aug 2020 GMT+7 when Ye Lin allegedly sent an AI-generated image depicting a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir to a man identified in court documents as Min Min Oo. Police later said this individual was Ye Lin’s colleague.
Information about the image led Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) to receive reports of a crocodile sighting at Pandan Reservoir. PUB then coordinated with the National Parks Board (NParks) to search and capture the crocodile in the area.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Canoe Federation and the Singapore Rowing Association were instructed to temporarily suspend all water activities at the reservoir for safety reasons.
However, on 21 Aug 2020 GMT+7, PUB confirmed that the crocodile image was fake and filed a police report. Water activities at the reservoir were subsequently resumed as normal.
Singapore police revealed that the day after sending the image, Ye Lin allegedly deleted both the AI-generated image and usage history of the Gemini app from his phone, actions that led to the charge of obstructing justice.
Police also warned that they would take action against those spreading false information, emphasizing that such behavior not only causes public fear and inconvenience but also wastes public resources unnecessarily in managing such incidents.
Ye Lin is scheduled to appear in court again on 10 Nov 2020 GMT+7. If found guilty of spreading false messages, he could face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars, or both. For obstructing justice, the maximum penalty is seven years imprisonment, a fine, or both.
. . .channelnewsasia
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