FACT CHECK: Video Of Firefighters Saving Animals In California Is AI-Generated

A video shared on Instagram purports to show firefighters saving various animals from the recent fires in California.

Verdict: False

The video, which was originally shared on Instagram on Jan. 11, has been generated with artificial intelligence (AI). The user who shared the video admitted it is AI-generated. In addition, an AI expert denied the video’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Humane groups, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA), are caring for animals displaced by the recent California fires, according to NBC News. Animal resource center Pasadena Humane has taken in over 400 animals, including ones who are injured, the outlet reported.

The Instagram video purports to show firefighters saving various animals, including bear cubs, dogs, a rabbit, and a fox, from the recent fires in California. “[The] firefighters in California are heroes,” text that appears on the video reads.

The claim is false. The video, which was originally shared on Instagram on Jan. 11, is AI-generated. The video was shared by user @futureriderus, who admitted it is AI-generated via the comment section.

“Yes, this video was indeed created using AI, but this is our current reality. AI has become a new form of art, one that we must acknowledge and adapt to, even though it is met with resistance now. Sooner or later, however, it will inevitably be accepted as a legitimate medium,” the user wrote in part while responding to a question. (RELATED: Does Video Show Helicopter Fighting The Current Fires In California?)

The same user said they created the video to “shed light on the reality of what is happening” amid the recent California fires.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the video referenced in any recent credible news reports about the California fires. Actually, the opposite is true. Both Factly and The Quint reported the video is AI-generated, tracing its origin to the Jan. 11 Instagram post from @futureriderus.

Furthermore, Dr. Walter Scheirer, an AI expert at the University of Notre Dame, denied the video’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“This video is likely the product of a generative AI algorithm. Several significant artifacts can be observed throughout the video, including animals that are missing limbs or have too many limbs. Further, this video was posted by a user on Instagram and has not been published by the professional news media or other authoritative source,” Scheirer said.

Although the video is AI-generated, animals have been impacted by the recent California fires. During a live FOX 11 Los Angeles, residents in Altadena rescued horses from the Eaton fire, according to People. Similarly, a firefighter battling the Eaton fire could be seen petting a lost dog while extinguishing the flames, the outlet reported.