Hurricane Milton: Fact-checking conspiracies, rumors and AI images

Tampa (Reuters): The aftermath of Hurricane Milton has left a trail of misinformation surrounding relief efforts in hard-hit Florida, including conspiracy theories about officials controlling the weather.

The storm's devastation was not as severe as initially feared in Florida, one of the many states that were battered by Hurricane Helene nearly two weeks earlier.

A wave of misinformation saw at least three congressional Republicans condemn conspiracy theories repeated by fellow members of their party.

Social media accounts also shared AI-generated content showing false imagery of the damage. Others used AI, opens new tab to amplify political messages, opens new tab ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

“This idea of influencing people’s perception of reality, and the real impact it has, is huge,” said Henry Ajder, opens new tab, an independent adviser on generative AI.

“We are seeing on social media the narrative around Democrats controlling the weather, AI-generated imagery of how FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) are failing… fueling a pretty hateful and impactful fire. This makes it more difficult for these people to do their job in incredibly challenging circumstances.”