One signal

Update

What changed

The BBC says it viewed independently posted photographs and videos of the damage near Whitby Abbey and spoke to eyewitnesses who corroborated the images shared by local publican Sue Taylor.

AI expert Theocharis Kyriacou told the BBC that an unusual-looking scene is not, by itself, evidence of an artificial image. He said photographs from different sources, independent footage and eyewitness accounts offer more meaningful evidence than individual impressions of what looks real or fake.

Kyriacou also warned that genuine photographs are increasingly questioned because of misuse of generative AI. He urged people to distinguish healthy scepticism from automatically dismissing an extraordinary image as fake.

Sources and evidence

• Wall blown over by Storm Boelo in Whitby sparks AI images debate – BBC: The BBC says independently posted images, videos and eyewitness accounts corroborate the Whitby storm damage, while an AI expert cautions against treating an unusual appearance as proof an image is artificial.

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