AI homeless man videos go viral in China- You won’t believe who’s doing it and why

Chinese women are increasingly using AI-generated images and videos of homeless men in their homes to test how much their partners love them, raising concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence, according to the South China Morning Post.

On mainland social media, several women said they asked AI tools to create footage of untidy homeless men inside their rooms and then shared it with their husbands or boyfriends to gauge their reactions. Some even generated a series of images, crafting stories of encountering a homeless person at their door and inviting them in for food.

The trend has gone viral, with some videos receiving more than 400,000 likes. “Have you not heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? If you raise false alarms too many times, people will not believe you when real danger happens,” one social media user commented.

Tools such as Google’s Gemini (sometimes called Nano Banana) or MyEdit’s AI Replace feature have been used to create realistic images.

The prank has also caused real-world incidents. In eastern China’s Anhui province on 17 October, a man called the police after receiving such images from his wife while he was out dining with friends. Officers arrived at the home, only to discover the images were AI-generated. Officials described the stunt as “fear-mongering” and a waste of public resources. Under the Public Security Administration Punishment Law, such actions can result in up to 10 days’ custody and a 500-yuan (around US$70) fine.

“AI has brought convenience to our lives, but at the same time, it has also generated a crisis of trust. The platform should take responsibility to regulate AI content,” another social media user said.