SVT documentary uses fake animal videos to test newsrooms

Three local SVT newsrooms published AI-manipulated animal videos believing they were real, SVT reports. The clips and a deepfake interview with the tipster were part of an experiment for a documentary series produced for SVT.

A person calling himself Gustav contacted local newsrooms in Skåne, Örebro, Västerbotten, Öst, Sörmland, Västmanland and Gävleborg with footage of animals. Several newsrooms interviewed him. The clips showed, among other things, a lynx in a garden outside Ystad, a wolverine in a cemetery in Gävle and an otter in Västerås.

Some newsrooms became suspicious and did not publish the material. Those in Västmanland, Gävleborg and Skåne did, before discovering the footage and interview were fake.

The experiment is part of a documentary series in production for SVT. Researcher and presenter Gustav Almqvist said the series conducts field experiments to stress-test Swedish society, including its readiness to handle threats linked to artificial intelligence. “Yesterday I set my team to stress-test SVT,” he said.

Jessica Wennberg, head of SVT’s Sweden programming area, said mistakes can happen in journalism, but the broadcaster should correct them quickly and be transparent about what happened. Axel Björklund, the programme’s editor in charge, said testing procedures was justified to assess whether SVT was prepared for potential and real risks.