31-12-2024 (MANILA) Misleading artificial intelligence-generated images purporting to show the “youngest pregnant girl” in General Santos, Philippines, have been circulating on social media platforms, prompting concerns about the spread of misinformation amidst rising teenage pregnancy rates in the region.
The controversial images, which emerged on Facebook on 22 December, depicted a supposedly nine-year-old pregnant girl in various poses. The posts, accompanied by cautionary messages to parents in Tagalog, coincided with recent media reports highlighting an uptick in adolescent pregnancies in General Santos, particularly among children aged 10 to 14.
Forensic experts have definitively identified these images as AI-generated content. Professor Siwei Lyu, who heads the Media Forensics Lab at the University of Buffalo, noted “numerous inconsistencies” in the images that indicate artificial creation. “The backgrounds show identical patterns in certain areas whilst failing to maintain consistency in others, such as the positioning of fixtures and furniture,” Lyu explained.
Further analysis by Professor Hany Farid of the University of California-Berkeley revealed additional telltale signs of AI manipulation, including implausible inconsistencies in clothing details, footwear, and background elements.
The circulation of these fabricated images comes at a sensitive time, as local authorities confirm a genuine increase in teenage pregnancies. Judith Janiola, head of General Santos’s population management office, reported a concerning rise in adolescent pregnancy cases since 2023, following a temporary decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whilst officials confirmed a real case involving a nine-year-old girl in 2022, details remain confidential due to safeguarding protocols. The fabricated images have since spread beyond the Philippines, appearing with similar false claims across multiple languages on various social media platforms.
