AI Slop Is Ruining Cute Animals on the Internet

AI-generated images and videos are undermining trust in online animal content, prompting viewers to scrutinize familiar scenes for glitches. A lost-cat owner discovered a scam when a photo of her pet was revealed as a deepfake, and nonprofit We Animals faces accusations of AI use despite banning the technology, prompting plans to embed provenance data. The rise of cheap synthetic media threatens to drown out authentic animal welfare footage and erode donor confidence.