Singapore man faces 10 years in jail after making AI crocodile deepfake

Date:
Wed, 30 Sep 2026 12:13:57 +0000

Description:
There's a lot you can do with today's AI apps, but be wary of sharing
anything likely to cause panic.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Singapore police charge a man over a deepfake AI image The picture shows a crocodile in a public recreation area A total of 10 years of jail time could be attached to the charges We
know that AI apps can produce images that are often indistinguishable from real photos, and these pictures may get you into trouble with the law too: a man in Singapore faces a jail term of up to 10 years after allegedly sharing an AI-generated image of a crocodile in a popular public recreational area.

The man is Ye Lin, a 30-year-old from Myanmar (via PetaPixel ), and the area is Pandan Reservoir. After the picture was shared on August 20, Singapore's national water agency shut down rowing and canoeing activities on the water while trying to find the semiaquatic reptile. After determining the image was fake, the agency reported Ye Lin to the police, and the man could now be looking at a serious stretch inside when he turns up to court in November. On the charge of sending a false message, Ye Lin could face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000 (about $7,835 / 5,895 / AU$11,235), or both. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Then there's the charge of obstructing justice, which can put you inside for up to seven years, lead to a fine (though it's not clear how much), or both. The accused man is reportedly planning to plead guilty and will be hoping the judicial system takes a lenient view on his AI deepfakery. Communicating falsehoods Pandan Reservoir (Image credit: Adhirk/CC BY-SA 3.0 ) "The Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone who communicates falsehoods," said the Singapore Police Force in a statement . "Apart from causing fear and inconvenience to members of the public, such falsehoods also result in public resources being unnecessarily deployed to deal with these incidents." You may like AI is everywhere here's how to spot AI-generated images, videos and scams in 2026 Google pulls Nano Banana from Google Earth after one day I
tried to use ChatGPT to create fake evidence and I came away worried

It's not immediately clear how the image came to be widely circulated: according to the police, Ye Lin only shared the image with one of his colleagues rather than posting it online. He then deleted the image and the Gemini app he used to make it "in an attempt to conceal his actions" the police said.

The reactions online show some sympathy for Ye Lin, with many arguing that the original offense wasn't particularly egregious, especially as he didn't share the image widely. However, questions are being asked about why the man didn't step in and tell the authorities the picture was faked after the reservoir was closed off. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
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If the image was indeed made by Gemini, as the Straits Times reports, then it should've come with an invisible, embedded watermark identifying it as being generated by AI. It's not clear whether this watermark was removed somehow,
or whether no one thought to check once the picture started circulating. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/singapore-man-faces-10-years -in-jail-for-ai-crocodile-picture-that-triggered-reservoir-closure-as-police-w arn-against-communicating-falsehoods


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