Singapore man faces up to 10 years in jail over AI crocodile image

A man in Singapore could face up to 10 years in jail after allegedly sharing an AI-generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir, a popular public recreational area. TechRadar identifies the accused as Ye Lin, a 30-year-old man from Myanmar.

The image was shared on August 20. Singapore’s national water agency then suspended rowing and canoeing at the reservoir while searching for the animal. After determining the image was fake, the agency reported Ye Lin to police.

He faces a charge of sending a false message, which carries a possible sentence of up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. A separate charge of obstructing justice carries up to 7 years in prison, a fine of an unspecified amount, or both. TechRadar reports that Ye Lin is planning to plead guilty and is due in court in November.

Police said falsehoods can cause public fear and inconvenience and lead to unnecessary use of public resources. According to police, Ye Lin shared the image with one colleague, then deleted the image and the Gemini app he had used. The source says it is unclear how the image spread widely or whether an embedded AI watermark was removed or checked.