Nepal 'cloudburst' video is AI generated
"Live video footage of cloudburst in Nepal," reads the Hindi-language caption of a video posted on X on May 25, 2025.
It appears to show torrents of water emptying out of a cloud onto already flooded fields.
It was shared as monsoon rains in eastern Nepal caused at least one death, according to the Kathmandu Post, as well as widespread flooding and disruptions to transport (archived link).
Meteorologists in Nepal said the monsoon clouds had entered the country two weeks ahead of schedule, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority predicting that around two million could be affected by monsoon-related disasters (archived link).
The video was also shared among Hindi-speaking users on Facebook and Instagram.
"What a terrifying scene... it seems like water gushing out of a dam," reads a comment on one of the posts.
Another comment reads: "A very scary scene... May God protect everyone."
But Nepalese authorities told AFP that no such weather phenomena had occurred in the country.
"Monsoon (season) has begun in Nepal so many areas are receiving rain. But there has been no incident of any cloudburst recently," Dinkar Kayastha, an information officer with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, said on June 5.
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage posted in a YouTube short on May 19 (archived link).
The video's Thai-language caption includes the hashtag "AI", and the user who posted the video also posted others with the same hashtag that appear to have been AI generated (archived link).
The director of Purdue University's Machine Learning and Media Forensics Lab, Shu Hu, also told AFP that there are visual inconsistencies in the video which confirm the clip was generated using AI (archived link).
"The red roof was absent at the beginning of the video but appeared later," he said on June 3.
AFP has debunked other false claims that utilised AI-generated footage here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Verge
11 hours ago
- The Verge
You sound like ChatGPT
Join any Zoom call, walk into any lecture hall, or watch any YouTube video, and listen carefully. Past the content and inside the linguistic patterns, you'll find the creeping uniformity of AI voice. Words like 'prowess' and 'tapestry,' which are favored by ChatGPT, are creeping into our vocabulary, while words like 'bolster,' 'unearth,' and 'nuance,' words less favored by ChatGPT, have declined in use. Researchers are already documenting shifts in the way we speak and communicate as a result of ChatGPT — and they see this linguistic influence accelerating into something much larger. In the 18 months after ChatGPT was released, speakers used words like 'meticulous,' 'delve,' 'realm,' and 'adept' up to 51 percent more frequently than in the three years prior, according to researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, who analyzed close to 280,000 YouTube videos from academic channels. The researchers ruled out other possible change points before ChatGPT's release and confirmed these words align with those the model favors, as established in an earlier study comparing 10,000 human- and AI-edited texts. The speakers don't realize their language is changing. That's exactly the point. One word, in particular, stood out to researchers as a kind of linguistic watermark. 'Delve' has become an academic shibboleth, a neon sign in the middle of every conversation flashing ChatGPT was here. 'We internalize this virtual vocabulary into daily communication,' says Hiromu Yakura, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development. ''Delve' is only the tip of the iceberg.' But it's not just that we're adopting AI language — it's about how we're starting to sound. Even though current studies mostly focus on vocabulary, researchers suspect that AI influence is starting to show up in tone, too — in the form of longer, more structured speech and muted emotional expression. As Levin Brinkmann, a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development and a coauthor of the study, puts it, ''Delve' is only the tip of the iceberg.' AI shows up most obviously in functions like smart replies, autocorrect, and spellcheck. Research out of Cornell looks at our use of smart replies in chats, finding that use of smart replies increases overall cooperation and feelings of closeness between participants, since users end up selecting more positive emotional language. But if people believed their partner was using AI in the interaction, they rated their partner as less collaborative and more demanding. Crucially, it wasn't actual AI usage that turned them off — it was the suspicion of it. We form perceptions based on language cues, and it's really the language properties that drive those impressions, says Malte Jung, Associate Professor of Information Science at Cornell University and a co-author of the study. This paradox — AI improving communication while fostering suspicion — points to a deeper loss of trust, according to Mor Naaman, professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech. He has identified three levels of human signals that we've lost in adopting AI into our communication. The first level is that of basic humanity signals, cues that speak to our authenticity as a human being like moments of vulnerability or personal rituals, which say to others, 'This is me, I'm human.' The second level consists of attention and effort signals that prove 'I cared enough to write this myself.' And the third level is ability signals which show our sense of humor, our competence, and our real selves to others. It's the difference between texting someone, 'I'm sorry you're upset' versus 'Hey sorry I freaked at dinner, I probably shouldn't have skipped therapy this week.' One sounds flat; the other sounds human. For Naaman, figuring out how to bring back and elevate these signals is the path forward in AI-mediated communication, because AI is not only changing language — but what we think. 'Even on dating sites, what does it mean to be funny on your profile or in chat anymore where we know that AI can be funny for you?' Naaman asks. The loss of agency starting in our speech and moving into our thinking, in particular, is what he is worried about. 'Instead of articulating our own thoughts, we articulate whatever AI helps us to articulate…we become more persuaded.' Without these signals, Naaman warns, we'll only trust face-to-face communication — not even video calls. We lose the verbal stumbles, regional idioms, and off-kilter phrases that signal vulnerability, authenticity, and personhood The trust problem compounds when you consider that AI is quietly establishing who gets to sound 'legitimate' in the first place. University of California, Berkeley research found that AI responses often contained stereotypes or inaccurate approximations when prompted to use dialects other than Standard American English. Examples of this include ChatGPT repeating the prompt back to the non-Standard-American-English user due to lack of comprehension and exaggerating the input dialect significantly. One Singaporean English respondent commented, 'the super exaggerated Singlish in one of the responses was slightly cringeworthy.' The study revealed that AI doesn't just prefer Standard American English, it actively flattens other dialects in ways that can demean their speakers. This system perpetuates inaccuracies not only about communities but also about what 'correct' English is. So the stakes aren't just about preserving linguistic diversity — they're about protecting the imperfections that actually build trust. When everyone around us starts to sound 'correct,' we lose the verbal stumbles, regional idioms, and off-kilter phrases that signal vulnerability, authenticity, and personhood. We're approaching a splitting point, where AI's impacts on how we speak and write move between the poles of standardization, like templating professional emails or formal presentations, and authentic expression in personal and emotional spaces. Between those poles, there are three core tensions at play. Early backlash signals, like academics avoiding 'delve' and people actively trying not to sound like AI, suggests we may self-regulate against homogenization. AI systems themselves will likely become more expressive and personalized over time, potentially reducing the current AI voice problem. And the deepest risk of all, as Naaman pointed to, is not linguistic uniformity but losing conscious control over our own thinking and expression. The future isn't predetermined between homogenization and hyperpersonalization: it depends on whether we'll be conscious participants in that change. We're seeing early signs that people will push back when AI influence becomes too obvious, while technology may evolve to better mirror human diversity rather than flatten it. This isn't a question about whether AI will continue shaping how we speak — because it will — but whether we'll actively choose to preserve space for the verbal quirks and emotional messiness that make communication recognizably, irreplaceably human.
Chicago Tribune
15 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Ground broken for city's lakefront airport — Meigs Field
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on June 20, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Column: How 'Jaws' changed our chumminess with swimming 50 years ago this summerWeather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) Vintage Chicago Tribune: Meigs Field — shut 20 years ago by Mayor Daley — and Northerly Island's evolution1947: Ground was broken for Chicago's lakefront airport on Northerly Island, which would be known as Meigs Field. 1953: Chicago recorded its second-hottest temperature: 104 degrees. (It was also 104 degrees on June 20, 1988, and on July 13, 1995). Here are Chicago's hottest days — with temperatures of 100 degrees or higher — on record'Of the estimated 350,000 persons who sought relief at beaches and pools, five drowned, scores suffered heat prostration, and thousands took home second-degree sunburns,' the Tribune reported. 1993: The Chicago Bulls won the team's third NBA championship by outlasting the Phoenix Suns 99-98. Guard John Paxson sunk a three-point shot with 3.9 seconds remaining on the clock. 'Horace Grant sealed the historic night by blocking the Suns' Kevin John last-second shot attempt,' Tribune reporter Sam Smith wrote. 'The night will forever be engraved in the conscience of sport.' Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Erick makes landfall in southern Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane
The storm threaded the needle between the resorts of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, tearing into a sparsely populated stretch of coastline near the border of Oaxaca and Guerrero states. Agricultural fields blanket the low-lying coastal area between small fishing villages. Advertisement Locals walked amid debris following the passage of Hurricane Erick in Puerto Escondido, state of Oaxaca, Mexico, on Thursday. CARLO ECHEGOYEN/AFP via Getty Images Erick is expected to rapidly weaken as it crashes into the coastal mountains of southern Mexico, and the system is likely to dissipate late Thursday or early Friday, the hurricane center said. The storm threatened to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said. Storm moves south on approach At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds, but without a drop of rain and small waves lapping at its central beach. However, the storm was forecast to move northwest just inland up the coast through midday, bringing heavy rain to the resort and the mountains that tower dramatically above it. Still, it appeared Acapulco had dodged the worst at least in terms of Erick's strong winds. Advertisement Late Wednesday, Erick's projected path had crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state with Acapulco up the coast to the northwest. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas. Waves were crashing onto the esplanade in Puerto Escondido by nightfall, swamping wooden fishing boats that had been pulled up there for safety. The beach disappeared under pounding waves and the rising tide had already reached the interiors of some waterfront restaurants. A man checked damages following the passage of Hurricane Erick in Puerto Escondido. CARLO ECHEGOYEN/AFP via Getty Images Last-minute purchases ended at nightfall as stores closed and the streets emptied. Earlier in the day, fishermen in Puerto Escondido pulled their boats out of the water ahead of the storm's arrival. Some surfers continued to ride waves at the Zicatela beach, even with red flags up to warn people to stay out of the water. Acapulco still scarred by Otis Acapulco residents had braced for Erick's arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis two years earlier. The city of nearly 1 million was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort's hotels. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said via X that all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Schools across the state were to remain closed for a second day Thursday. Advertisement Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds. On Wednesday, he directed workers storing tables and chairs. 'Authorities' warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we've already been through,' Ozuna Romero said in reference to Otis. Elsewhere, workers nailed sheets of plywood over shop windows and stacked sandbags outside doorways. Cars lined up to fill their tanks and shoppers made last-minute purchases before rushing home. Verónica Gómez struggled through the streets of Acapulco with a large jug of water. 'We're all afraid because we think the same thing could happen,' said the 40-year-old employee of a shipping company. But she said she and others learned a lot from Otis. 'Now it's not going to catch us by surprise,' she said, holding out a bag of canned food as evidence. Marines sat in a military vehicle as they patrolled after Hurricane Erick hit near Acapulco. Fernando Llano/Associated Press In Acapulco on Wednesday, there was a strong presence of National Guard and police in the streets, but most visible were trucks from the national power company. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush. Rain could be Erick's legacy Forecasters expected Erick to lash Mexico's Pacific coast with heavy rain, strong winds and a fierce storm surge. Rains of up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the center's advisory said. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain. Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. The mountainous region along the coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. Advertisement Acapulco's port closed Tuesday evening. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes across Guerrero. Erick quickly doubled in strength Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick churned through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 35 mph in 24 hours — which is about twice as many as average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center. Sánchez reported from Acapulco, Mexico.
