Buckingham Palace, King Charles' 775-room royal residence in London, is a glorious home and one of the capital's most prominent tourist attractions that will only become even more magnificent following the £369 million of renovations currently taking place.
Though it's certainly splendid as is, visitors and tourists have found themselves incredibly disappointed upon arriving at the residence this week, having fallen victim to an advertising trick.
© Getty ImagesAccording to a report from the BBC, a fake AI-generated image, of unknown origin, depicting an enormous Christmas market outside the palace has gone viral this week, and left those visiting the palace expecting to see it rather disappointed.
Speaking to the publication, one visitor said: "We've come for a Christmas market that's not here!," while a second added: "Everyone's fallen for this AI-generated advertising." Some expressed disappointment at the trick, and others were trying to see "the funny side of it".
In the comment section of the publication's video, which was shared to social media, some expressed sympathy for the visitors, but some questioned how people fell for the trick in the first place.
"I never normally fall for AI, but I actually fell for this [sobbing emoji], OMG this is the first time I've seen it's fake, glad I didn't plan any trips," one Facebook user wrote.
On the other hand, another commented: "It's wild to me that nobody Googled to confirm the market was there? And they wonder how fake news spreads so quickly."
AI-generated misinformation is on the rise
Research from the Alan Turing Institute in 2024 found that the widespread adoption of social media, combined with the rise of new generative forms of artificial intelligence, means that it "has never been easier to spread misinformation".
As it is easier than ever to replicate and share content, the creation and dissemination of misleading content is more possible than it has ever been.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe institute states that this rise is "particularly concerning in a year of elections across the globe" and is raising fears over how "public trust could be disrupted and eroded".
Their release added that it is more vital than ever for the public to learn to distinguish between human and AI-generated content, which they are conducting experiments to discern.
