Man Arrested Over AI Image of Wolf That Escaped From Korean Zoo
A convincing AI-generated image of a runaway wolf in South Korea led to the arrest of a man after it derailed the rescue team searching for the canine.
A two-year-old wolf named Neukgu broke out of his zoo in the city of Daejeon earlier this month, captivating the public and even prompting the Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, to publicly pray for him.
Neukgu escaped from his enclosure on April 8, and hours later, an unnamed 40-year-old man posted an AI photo that showed Neukgu trotting down a public street. The fake image caused the search team to relocate their efforts — the image was even presented during a press briefing. The BBC reports that the AI image also prompted an emergency text message to residents of Daejeon, warning them that Neukgu was nearby.
It’s not clear whether the man sent the AI image to authorities or shared it on social media, but he was apprehended after police reviewed security camera footage and checked his computer to view his AI program history.
Once arrested, the man told police that he made the image “for fun.” He now faces charges for disrupting a police investigation via deception. The offense could land him five years in jail or a potential fine of up to 10 million Korean won ($6,800).
Neukgu is now back safe in his enclosure after he was discovered on a hill next to a highway about two and a half miles from O-World Zoo in Daejeon, about 10 days after his escape. In the intervening period, Neukgu became a national celebrity in Korea — sparking meme coins and cake decorations. The city is now considering making him an official mascot.
Authorities deployed thermal drones, police officers, and military troops to find Neukgu. After he was tranquilized, vets looked him over and discovered a fishing hook in his stomach. “Neukgu, it’s dangerous outside the house,” writes one South Korean social media user.
Neukgu is part of a program at the O-World zoo to restore the Korean wolf. He is a third-generation descendant of a group of wolves from Russia, and the plan is to eventually reintroduce them into the Korean wild. The Korean wolf became extinct in the 1960s.
