Singapore man faces up to 10 years in jail over fake AI crocodile picture

Dubai: A man in Singapore could face up to 10 years in jail after an AI-generated image of a crocodile led authorities to shut down water activities at one of the city's reservoirs.

Ye Lin, a 30-year-old Myanmar national, was charged in court on September 29. He faces one charge of transmitting a false message and another of obstructing the course of justice.

He told the court, through an interpreter, that he intends to plead guilty and will not hire a lawyer.

According to charge sheets, Ye Lin sent the AI-generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir to another person on August 20. Court documents identify that person as Min Min Oo, and police described him as a colleague. The message was sent at about 3pm Singapore time, which was 11am in the UAE.

That same afternoon, Singapore's national water agency, PUB, received a report of a crocodile sighting at the reservoir, accompanied by a photo. Based on the image, the agency believed the animal was likely an estuarine crocodile. The species, also known as the saltwater crocodile, lives in the waters around Singapore.

Water activities at the reservoir were suspended for two days. PUB and the National Parks Board launched search-and-capture operations and put up warning signs around the area.

The Singapore Rowing Association and the Singapore Canoe Federation, which run kayaking, canoeing, dragon boating and rowing at the reservoir, were told to stop all activities.

It is not clear how the image reached PUB, since Ye Lin had only sent it to his colleague.

On August 21, PUB confirmed the photo was fake and filed a police report. The search was called off, and water activities resumed on August 22.

"PUB takes a serious view of false information that may cause public alarm and disrupt activities," the agency said.

Police say Ye Lin created the image using artificial intelligence. According to the charge sheets, he deleted the image and his history on the Gemini AI app from his phone on August 21. That deletion is the basis of the obstruction of justice charge.

The Singapore Police Force said the man deleted the image and the related application in an attempt to hide what he had done.

"The Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone who communicates falsehoods. 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," the force said in a statement.

The false message charge falls under Singapore's Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. According to TechRadar, it carries up to three years in jail, a fine of up to S$10,000 (about Dh28,800), or both.

Obstructing the course of justice is more serious, with a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

Ye Lin was released on bail of S$5,000 (about Dh14,400). His next court date is November 10.

TechRadar notes that images made with Google's Gemini should carry an invisible, embedded watermark that identifies them as AI-generated. It is unclear whether the watermark was removed or whether anyone checked for it once the picture began circulating.

Online, reactions have been mixed. On Reddit, some users felt the charges were harsh, since he had not shared the image widely. Others asked why he did not come forward once the reservoir was closed.

The case comes after several real crocodile sightings in Singapore this year. In May, a two-metre crocodile was spotted off Sentosa Cove, and it was later caught and euthanised.

Spreading false information online is also a criminal offence in the UAE.

Under Article 52 of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes, anyone who uses the internet to publish or share false news, rumours or misleading information that contradicts official sources faces at least one year in prison and a fine of at least Dh100,000.

Penalties rise to at least two years in jail and a fine of at least Dh200,000 if the false content turns public opinion against state authorities, or if it is shared during a crisis, epidemic or disaster.

Earlier this year, Sharjah prosecutors warned that intent is not a defence, and that people can be held accountable even for content shared as a joke.