AI-manipulated photo of quake victim sparks outrage, legal threat from Japanese newspaper

A photo of a Kumamoto earthquake victim published by Japan's Mainichi Shimbun was manipulated using generative AI and spread widely on social media, it has been confirmed.

According to a Yomiuri Shimbun report Thursday, the man in the original photo was standing in front of his collapsed home with a somber expression after a powerful earthquake struck July 28 with a maximum seismic intensity of 7. In the doctored image circulating on social media, however, the man appeared smiling and flashing a V-sign.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun, the original photo was published July 29. As the manipulated image spread across social media, the victim and the broader disaster-affected region became targets of a wave of abusive comments.

The comments included remarks such as "I wish more damage had been done" and "People in Kumamoto, stop eating for free."

The Mainichi Shimbun called the incident "extremely regrettable" and said it was "considering a response, including the possibility of legal action."

The victim, a 72-year-old man living in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, told the Yomiuri Shimbun he felt "as if the reality of the disaster damage was being denied," expressing anger over the manipulation. He reportedly filed a damage report with the Kumamoto Prefectural Police earlier this month.

The man had been living with his 96-year-old mother and 69-year-old brother. At the time of the earthquake, he was grocery shopping at a supermarket. When he rushed home, he found the entire first floor of his two-story wooden house had collapsed.

After a neighbor told him his brother was still inside, the man desperately called out to him. A faint reply of "I'm here" came from near the entryway. His brother's right arm had been pinned under what appeared to be a wardrobe, leaving it fractured and severely discolored. After roughly four hours of work, rescuers freed the brother safely.

Imamura Tetsuya, a Meiji University professor specializing in intellectual property law, said the case could go beyond copyright and portrait rights violations to constitute criminal and civil defamation. "If the person who posted the image is identified through a request for information disclosure, they could also face liability for damages," he said.