‘No threat’: AI-generated photos of armed police circulate online after alarm goes off at Sydney shopping centre

Police have confirmed there is “no threat” to the public after AI-generated photos purporting to show armed officers at a south Sydney shopping centre were shared across social media, shortly after alarms were sounded at the complex. A NSW Police spokesperson said an alarm had been activated at a Hurstville shopping centre in Sydney’s south as part of testing, assuring shoppers that there is no active incident at the centre. “Police responded as a result of the alarm, however, no evacuations took place. There is no threat to the public,” the spokesperson said in a Facebook post. An AI-generated photo of armed police was spotted circulating online shortly after the alarm. At least one person took to Facebook to share the photo and claim there was an active incident unfolding, asking “what the hell is going on in our country?” The post has since been deleted, with the user clarifying there was no active incident at the shopping centre and acknowledging the photo was AI-generated. A NSW Police spokesperson urged Aussies not to share false images. “We understand an AI-generated image of armed police inside a shopping centre has since been circulating,” the spokesperson said. “The public is urged to not share false images and only rely on official sources for accurate information.”