SHAWANO, Wis. (WBAY) - The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office is joining a chorus of other law enforcement departments across the country who are warning against a new prank that uses generative AI.

Called the “AI homeless man” prank and seen mostly on TikTok, the prank uses AI to create fake images of a homeless person inside someone’s home. The pranker then sends the image in a text to scare family or roommates.

This prank sometimes results in the family member or roommate calling police out of fear. Shawano County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to one of these pranks on Monday.

The sheriff’s office is warning that while it may seem like a joke, this “prank” isn’t funny and can cause panic, lead to dangerous or violent reactions, and waste emergency resources.

Parents are

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