300,000 fooled by AI fake news as earthquake strikes Japan's Kumamoto

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, and almost immediately AI-generated fake news, fabricated rescue appeals and conspiracy theories began spreading rapidly across social media, compounding the chaos of disaster response. Local authorities urged the public to exercise caution, warning that indiscriminate sharing of unverified information could obstruct actual rescue operations.

According to NHK on Wednesday, a post appeared on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the quake claiming, "Please help me. I'm buried alive," and racked up more than 300,000 views.

Verification revealed that the address listed in the post did not exist, and the account was subsequently suspended.

The misinformation went beyond fake rescue appeals.

False reports claiming that an explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a large shopping center in Kashima-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture, had caused fatalities also spread online. On YouTube, fabricated videos mimicking real broadcast news — produced using generative AI — were posted and accumulated tens of thousands of views.

On X and Threads, footage of a shopping mall filmed during last year's Noto Peninsula earthquake was recirculated as if it showed damage from the current disaster. Baseless, xenophobic rumors claiming that "foreigners set fires" also spread, adding to the confusion.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that conspiracy-laden posts claiming the earthquake had been predicted in advance, or that it was an "artificial earthquake," proliferated on social media in the immediate aftermath.

One post, which attached a map image and claimed "I announced the prediction and got the location right," reportedly surpassed 3.4 million views.

Experts stress that verifying information is more important than ever during disasters, precisely because sensational posts spread so quickly in such situations.

Furuta Daisuke, editor-in-chief of the Japan Fact-check Center, urged the public to "check the facts through official announcements from public institutions or reports from news organizations when you encounter sensational information, and not to share anything you are not certain about."

Local media and rescue authorities warned that the spread of false information could have serious consequences for the entire disaster response system — burying genuine rescue calls or delaying on-the-ground response.

Japan has seen misinformation resurface repeatedly during major disasters. During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, a false rumor spread that a lion had escaped from a zoo. During the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, a string of fake rescue requests caused confusion for rescue authorities.

Experts expect that as generative AI technology advances, false content that is increasingly difficult to distinguish from real news will continue to multiply. They advise that even when encountering sensational footage or rescue appeals during a disaster, people should first check official announcements from public institutions and news organizations, and refrain from sharing posts of unclear origin — the most effective way to prevent secondary harm.