Overview
- The Oct. 3 evening edition photo showing a tanuki holding a sea turtle was withdrawn after Asahi determined generative AI enhancement altered factual details, including the turtle’s orientation and leg placement.
- The image originated with a Yakushima sea-turtle conservation group, and an unnamed creator extracted a frame from night-vision video and used ChatGPT to make the still appear clearer.
- Asahi said the article’s reporting on predation of hatchlings on Yakushima remains accurate despite problems with the accompanying image.
- Asahi’s general manager and Tokyo editing chief, Kimitaka Nishiyama, apologized and pledged thorough confirmation of any editing or generation to prevent a repeat.
- Kyodo News had already canceled a similar supplier photo on Nov. 1 over AI processing, underscoring a broader verification gap for third-party visuals.