TLDR: Police departments in the US and UK are reporting a surge in emergency calls due to a viral TikTok prank involving AI-generated images of “homeless intruders” inside homes. This trend, intended as a joke, is diverting critical resources from genuine emergencies and has prompted warnings about potential criminal charges for filing false reports.
A disturbing new social media trend, dubbed the “AI homeless man prank,” is causing significant disruption to emergency services across the United States and the United Kingdom. The prank involves users generating hyper-realistic artificial intelligence (AI) images depicting a supposed “homeless man” inside a home – often sitting on a couch, eating in a kitchen, or standing in a hallway. These fabricated images are then sent to family members or friends with alarming messages, leading recipients to believe their homes have been invaded and prompting them to call emergency numbers like 911 or 999.
Police departments nationwide are issuing stern warnings about the dangers and consequences of this viral hoax. In Round Rock, Texas, for instance, the police department reported receiving two 911 calls in early October that were later confirmed to be part of this prank. “While no one was harmed, making false reports like these can tie up emergency resources and delay responses to legitimate calls for service,” stated the Round Rock Police Department in a public alert. They further reminded residents that knowingly filing a false report is a criminal offense under Texas Penal Code 42.06.
Similarly, in Poole, England, Dorset Police responded to a distress call from an “extremely concerned parent” who genuinely believed a homeless man had entered their family home while their daughter was alone, based on AI-generated images received. Officers confirmed it was a prank, condemning the hoax for diverting “valuable deployable resources” that could have been used for genuine emergencies, and noting it triggered a “blue light response.”
The trend has gained immense traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A search for “how to do homeless man AI prank” on TikTok alone has reportedly generated over 19.7 million posts, featuring tutorials on creating these images and even clips of police arriving at pranksters’ homes after emergency calls were made.
Content creators are utilizing various AI image-generation tools, including platforms like Google Gemini (sometimes referred to as Nano Banana), where simple prompts such as “add a picture of a homeless man on my couch” can produce convincing composite images. Other methods include using Snapchat filters like “Imagine” or CapCut templates, a popular video editing app, to create short, authentic-looking video clips for the prank.
The widespread nature of this prank highlights a growing concern regarding the misuse of AI-generated content and its real-world implications. Beyond the immediate strain on emergency services, the trend also raises ethical questions about exploiting vulnerable populations for online “jokes” and the potential for psychological distress caused to unsuspecting prank victims.
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This incident also comes amidst broader discussions about AI-generated imagery, with celebrities like Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.) and Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams) speaking out against the circulation of AI-generated images of their late fathers.
