Many of the things that people have “created” with generative AI fall under the general rubric of “just because you could, doesn’t mean you should.” Rarely has this been truer than in the case of a man in Singapore who last month allegedly decided it’d be a great laugh to share an AI-generated image depicting a crocodile in a reservoir at a popular public park.
The park’s staff promptly closed down all aquatic activities in the area and spent two days searching for the crocodile, which—obviously—was nowhere to be found. Once it became clear that the image was fake, the park authorities reported the incident to police. The man presumed to be behind the picture—Ye Lin, 30, originally from Myanmar—was duly arrested and is now in the hands of the Singaporean justice system, which it’s fair to say is not world-renowned for its sense of humor.
Lin has been charged with sharing a false image, which is punishable in Singapore by up to three years in prison. Worse, it seems that he tried to cover his tracks by deleting the image, along with Gemini, which he allegedly used to create it. This has resulted in an additional charge of obstructing the course of justice, which could land him up to seven additional years in jail.
According to the BBC, whose report references an earlier piece in local outlet The Straits Times, the false image charge can also carry a fine of up to S$10,000—about $7,800—which can be imposed in addition to jail time. The obstruction-of-justice charge can also carry a fine, although the report doesn’t specify how much.
So all in all, the hapless Lin is facing up to ten years in prison and a potential fine that could reach at least $7,800 for this very ill-conceived prank. This might seem excessive to Western readers, but Singapore has always had famously heavy penalties for all manner of crimes, and would probably point to its status as one of the world’s safest countries as a response to any criticisms of those penalties. (In Gallup’s latest Global Safety Report, Singapore ranks second on the company’s Global Law and Order index, behind Tajikistan.)
In any case, the country’s tough-on-crime policies aren’t changing any time soon, so the lesson here is basically don’t be Ye Lin. That is to say, a) don’t f*ck around, and b) if you can’t help doing so, ensure that the resultant finding out doesn’t happen in Singapore.
