NEW YORK - A viral Cat in the Hat trend built around AI-generated images and videos is prompting safety warnings for schools, students and parents.
The posts make it appear that a life-sized version of the Dr. Seuss character is walking through neighborhoods or appearing outside at night. Some include ominous captions, false claims of violence or invitations for users to meet the character.
What we know:
The trend features AI-generated content, edited videos and real people in Cat in the Hat costumes. The posts are often designed to look like local sightings, using familiar streets, locations or captions naming a particular city or town.
The BBC reported that the trend has spread widely online, alarming some young people and leading police agencies in the UK and Ireland to clarify that purported sightings were fake.
A Tennessee safety agency said it is also tracking trend-related content targeting schools and students.
What they're saying:
Some of the content goes beyond a joke or costume video.
Officials have warned about unverified claims that the character has harmed people, as well as posts encouraging users to meet someone in person. Those claims should not be treated as real without confirmation from law enforcement or another official source.
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