VPD removes photo after AI editing concerns

Vancouver Police have replaced a photo used in a recent announcement after it drew online criticism over what some identified as artificial intelligence editing.

On Tuesday, the VPD posted a news release about nine arrests related to alleged drug trafficking and included an image of seized items. The post was questioned online over apparent inconsistencies in the photo—distorted lettering and what appeared to be fake bills—with some noting the original Facebook posting contained an "AI info" tag.

In a statement, VPD Sergeant Adam Donalson said the department used software to edit out the names of the accused but did not mention AI use. "The edited photo has been taken down and replaced with the original photo that has been cropped to exclude the names of the accused," he said.

The post has since been updated with the new image.