AI Animal Deepfakes Threaten Wildlife Conservation

Researchers and conservationists warn that increasingly realistic generative-AI videos depicting animals are spreading on Instagram, Meta AI, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and X. A September 2025 Conservation Biology report and experts at WWF‑India say such short, often violent or anthropomorphizing clips can mislead viewers, normalize dangerous interactions, fuel overtourism and wildlife trafficking, and undermine conservation and public-safety efforts.