Have you seen the video of a massive great white shark that attacked a buffalo in the Sabie River, Kruger National Park? No? That’s because it never happened. Ever.
Fake AI video clips and photos in our social media feeds are leaving some gasping in wonder and awe, and clicking share. A soaring eagle carries away a massive thrashing crocodile, and an elephant lovingly cradles a lion cub in its curled-up trunk to safety from the slavering mouths of tigers. ‘Entertainment’ aside, the growing void between software-generated fabrications and the real, biological, natural world grows, and our algorithmic enslavement continues to take root.
Carefully weeding my accounts of the purveyors of this cr@p does help. Still, the tide is rising, and the owners of social media continue to prioritise emotional engagement over boring facts, intelligent thought and constructive debate. This volume-based business model fuels their advertising revenue. We are rapidly heading towards a future where most content is generated by software, and we are the (muted) fuel that drives the revenue engine. Of course, this generic mousse completely misses the angular, beautiful reality of biological life and confuses the masses about what nature is all about. The risks to our planet’s biodiversity and stability are obvious as more and more people are being screened off from Mother Nature and see her as irrelevant in their lives.
Have no fear that my team will continue to celebrate the real world in our stories, galleries and reporting. Warts and all. Likewise, our tailor-made safaris are handcrafted to ensure the most meaningful experiences and to showcase this great place we call home.
Thanks for continuing to prefer science and facts over software-generated detritus. We are in the minority, but we are powerful. A luta continua!
SIMON ESPLEY. AFRICAN GEOGRAPHIC