By Justin McCurry
Publication Date: 2025-11-13 05:37:00
IBecause the record number of fatal bear attacks wasn’t frightening enough, experts say a spate of AI-generated videos in Japan purporting to show people in close encounters with the animals is only increasing public fear – and could put people at greater risk.
While headlines about real-life attacks and disruptions regularly emerge, online content watchers are warning social media users not to be fooled by realistic videos on platforms like TikTok that show animals attacking or interacting with people.
Two of the most infamous clips show several bears destroying the solar panels of a solar array and another running away with a dog in its mouth. In other fake clips, a news anchor reports bear sightings in the area and an elderly woman is shown feeding fruit to a bear in a field.
Some even show people, including a schoolgirl, fighting the animals – the worst possible reaction to an encounter: black bears in Japan can weigh up to 130 kg (287 pounds), and Ussuri brown bears…
