AI’s cruelest prank on teens of the past year has gone too far

Right? We’ve been concerned about AI deepfakes, fake celebrities and dystopian robotic takeovers. It turns out that the biggest chaos machine is a group of bored teens on Snapchat.

TikTok has been inundated with a new viral joke that is giving parents and police officers headaches. The kids use AI tools to create images that look like a dishevelled homeless man living in their home. They send this “proof” to parents.

How the prank is played

The joke goes as follows: Teens tell mom or Dad that they allowed a “nice guy” in to take a sip of water, or take a quick nap on their couch. Some teens will even say that the “nice guy” knows their parents from work or school.

As expected, parents lose their cool and scream, call the police, or demand that the stranger leave immediately. The teens videotape the meltdown. They upload it on TikTok and wait for the views to roll in.

Some of these videos are already viewed by millions. What started out as a quick hit of dopamine for shares and likes has now become something that can actually hurt people.

If the joke goes too far, it may cause “a SWAT reaction”

Now, law enforcement officials warn that this prank is no longer a “funny trend on the internet” but a “public safety concern.” If parents think there’s a burglar in their house (especially when children are present), it will trigger an immediate police response. It means real officers will arrive with guns to deal with what they perceive as a real threat.

Andy McKinney, the commander of the Police Patrol Division in Round Rock (a Texas city) told NBC that such calls could “cause a SWAT reaction.” That’s right. A real team dressed in tactical gear is prepared to storm your home for a fake AI picture.

Salem Police Department, Massachusetts, put it even blunter in a statement to the public: “This joke dehumanizes the homeless, makes the victim panicky, and wastes cops’ resources.” Officers who respond to the call do not realize that it is a hoax and mistakenly treat it as a burglary.

Please, do not participate in this prank!

After all, this is the real problem. Even a brief glance at AI tools can make someone believe that the danger is real. It’s even more impressive when it comes from your child.

You know, the internet is all about a good joke, but maybe you should skip this one. Few viral likes don’t justify a 911 call or a SWAT squad at your door.

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