AI wolf-feeding post sparks backlash against Danish politician

An AI-generated image shared by Esbjerg municipal council member Klaus Sandfeld of Venstre has sparked a heated debate on Facebook, DR reports. Sandfeld says the post was intended as sarcasm and that he does not regret publishing it.

The image shows two people feeding raw meat to a wolf alongside the text: “This is how the wolf can be strategically regulated.” Several commenters accused Sandfeld of encouraging people to feed wolves.

“What the hell do you think you are doing? Are you, as a politician, encouraging the public to feed wolves so that they will ultimately be shot?” one commenter wrote.

Sandfeld said the image was created “with sarcasm and a large dose of provocation” aimed at wolf supporters. He said the post was intended to draw attention to the issue rather than encourage wolf feeding.

“If I am going to build momentum around how serious the problem is in Jutland, then I have to keep posting things that also generate feedback,” he said.

Some commenters called for Sandfeld to be expelled from Venstre. Liberal Alliance MP Ole Birk Olesen also criticised the post, writing that he assumed Venstre would remove Sandfeld as a parliamentary candidate.

“His call is absolutely irresponsible and also undemocratic,” Olesen wrote.

Thomas Danielsen, deputy chair of Venstre’s parliamentary group, said the party would not encourage people to feed wolves.

“One should obviously not feed them or encourage others to do so. It only makes the problems worse, and this is certainly not something one should joke about,” Danielsen said in a written response to DR.

Sandfeld said the criticism had not made him reconsider the post. “Sometimes you have to challenge people on Facebook, rather than only posting what people want to see,” he said.