AI Images Create Confusion as Real Gang of Monkeys Roams St. Louis

Vervet monkeys were spotted near a park in St. Louis last Thursday. No one knows who owns the monkeys or why they are roaming free. But as police and health officials in the city try to keep track of the little guys, a wrinkle of our modern age is complicating things. According to the Associated Press, people are posting AI-generated photos and videos on social media claiming to have found the monkeys.

“The health department first became aware of the situation through reports from residents as well as a sighting by an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Currently, the origin of these animals is unknown,” the local health department told First Alert 4.

The department’s statement continues, “A health department animal care and control officer was sent to investigate on Thursday, January 8, but was not able to locate the animals. On Friday, January 9, multiple officers patrolled the area based on persistent reports of sightings, but the monkeys have still not been found.”

St. Louis Health Department spokesman Willie Springer told the AP that people are posting fake photos of the monkeys online, even claiming to have captured them. And it’s hard to tell what’s real.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about AI and what’s real and what’s not,” Springer told the AP. “People are just having fun. Like I don’t feel like hurting anyone.” The health department did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s questions on Monday afternoon.

Some photos of fake monkeys are just transparently fake, such as the Instagram Reels set to the music of the Monkees music group. Others also show the Sora watermark, indicating they were created with OpenAI’s video creation tools. But a large percentage of the public does not know that the Sora watermark means that the video is fake.

Then there are also AI videos showing monkeys doing ridiculous things like stealing cars:

On top of that, there are also claims that a random goat is roaming around St. Louis, although the photos posted on Facebook could also be an AI. It’s hard to tell in the age of AI, when you literally can’t believe your eyes.

Animal control is reportedly speaking to experts from the St. Louis Zoo in an effort to find the monkeys. But even if they are found, the owners are unlikely to come forward, according to First Alert 4. It is illegal to keep monkeys in the city.

Anyone who sees the monkeys in St. Louis (in real life, not online) is being asked to call Animal Care and Control at 314-657-1500.