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Palestine advances to Arab Cup quarterfinals as favorites, while Qatar is eliminated
Tunisia beat Asian champions Qatar 3-0, while Palestine draw with Syria to enter the quarterfinals for the first time.
Asian champions Qatar have been knocked out of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 after a shocking 3-0 loss to Tunisia, with Palestine advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time with a 0-0 draw against Syria.
Home favourites Qatar needed a big win over Tunisia to have any chances of progressing from Group A, where Palestine and Syria were in the lead as the last round of the group fixtures was played on Sunday.
A poor defensive display from the Asian Cup winners saw them concede the lead in the 16th minute on Sunday, when Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane pounced on a goalkeeping error by Meshaal Barsham, allowing the Tunisian midfielder to poke the ball into the net from close range at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
While the Annabi (the Maroons) were able to hold off further Tunisian goals in the first half, the home crowd was left frustrated by Qatar’s attack.
Led by star striker Akram Afif, the forwards looked jaded as they failed to produce goal-scoring opportunities despite holding 60 percent of the possession.
They were made to pay for not converting their shots into goals when Tunisia doubled their lead in the 62nd minute through a low and close-range header by Yassine Meriah following a corner.
A few minutes later, Tunisia were reduced to 10 men when Seifeddine Jaziri was sent off for a foul with 25 minutes left until full time, but Qatar failed to capitalise on the advantage.
Tunisia’s win was sealed in the closing minutes of the game when an unmarked Mohamed Benali received the ball in the Qatari half and slotted in a powerful strike.
He went on to celebrate the goal and the win, but Tunisia’s joy was short-lived as the result from the other group game confirmed that both teams were knocked out.
Widely contrasting scenes unfolded 48 kilometres (30 miles) away at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, where Palestine and Syria played out a goalless draw to secure their respective qualification for the last-eight stage.
Palestine beat Qatar dramatically in the opening game of the tournament when an own goal gave the war-torn nation a shock win over the favourites.
The Fidai – as the Palestinian team is known – then put on a dogged display against Tunisia as they came back from 2-0 down to draw their second match.
Syria, too, won their first match when they beat Tunisia 1-0 and were level on points and goal difference with their fellow Levantine nation.
This left both table-topping teams needing a point from the final Group A match to secure their progress, and when the full-time whistle was blown by the referee signalling a goalless draw, both sets of players fell to the ground in an outpouring of the emotions they had held back for 90 minutes.
The Palestinian team brought out their flags, keffiyehs and loudest roars as they celebrated in tandem with their vociferous supporters.
Syria’s players were equally emotional as they jumped around in joy and disbelief.
Several Palestinian players, including Gaza-born defender Mohammed Saleh, waved both Palestinian and Syrian flags as the celebrations carried on well past full time.
The results and their impact on the tournament’s next round are shocking, not only because both Palestine and Syria are reeling from the effects of war, but also due to the gulf in the teams’ standings in world football.
Palestine are 96th in FIFA’s team rankings, 45 places behind Qatar, while Syria are placed at 87. Tunisia, the sixth-best team in Africa, are ranked 40th in the world.
Qatar are among the six Arab teams to have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Tunisia are among the nine African nations in the finals.
Neither Palestine nor Syria have ever qualified for football’s showpiece event, but for now, their fans will not care as their teams march on in the Arab Cup.
Surprising Turnout in Hong Kong Election Despite Anger Over Deadly Fire
Hong Kong election defies expectations of turnout drop amid anger over deadly fire
Hong Kong Holds Election Amid Mourning for Deadly Fire
Getty ImagesHongkongers have voted in an election seen as a test of public sentiment following a deadly fire that angered some in the city.
The government mounted a huge campaign to encourage residents to choose members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). All of the candidates have been vetted to ensure they are loyal to China.
Voter turnout was 31.9%, according to the city’s electoral office. The last election in 2021 saw the administrative region’s lowest-ever turnout of 30% amid widespread voter apathy.
This election took place as many were mourning a devastating fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district last month that killed nearly 160 people.
Around 1.3 million voted out of around 4.1 million registered voters in the city, which has a population of more than seven million.
China earlier made sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” could run for seats.
Beijing has said the changes, which were put in place after anti-government protests in 2019, were necessary to ensure stability in Hong Kong, but critics say they weakened democracy.
Ahead of the recent election, authorities distributed aid to survivors of the Tai Po fire, arrested suspects and sought to improve building safety, as some Hongkongers raised questions about the incident.
A total of 161 candidates competed for 90 seats in the LegCo, which acts as a mini parliament and can make and amend laws. Twenty of those are directly elected, while nearly half are picked by the pro-Beijing Election Committee and the rest chosen by special interest groups like business and trade.
This year, the government has blanketed the city with posters urging Hongkongers to head to the polls, while dangling freebies and shopping discounts.
After casting their vote, each person received a “thank you card” that could be redeemed for vouchers in selected shops and restaurants, or for beauty services, medical check-ups and insurance policy premiums.
Authorities also offered free entry to public swimming pools and museums on polling day, organising carnivals in various neighbourhoods, and holding a televised variety show and gala.
They have also created cartoon mascots and a theme tune for the election, adapted from a 2001 hit song by Cantopop star Aaron Kwok, called “Let’s Vote, Together We Create The Future”.
Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Eric Chan told reporters last month that the measures were aimed at ensuring “a happy and festive mood” and to “let residents recognise the importance of the election”.
VCG via Getty ImagesBut in recent days focus has been on the 26 November fire that engulfed high-rise residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court in the northerly suburban district of Tai Po.
The blaze was the worst seen in Hong Kong in more than 70 years. The death toll, which currently stands at 159, is likely to rise further as officials continue to recover bodies.
As Hong Kong mourns its dead, some are asking whether the fire could have been prevented and questioning building safety standards. Many Hongkongers live in ageing high-rise buildings similar to Wang Fuk Court.
Authorities have since ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of the fire, and have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter.
They have also ordered the removal of scaffolding mesh used in all building renovations across the city.
Investigators have found that a scaffolding mesh used for renovations in Wang Fuk Court failed to meet flame retardant standards – and that the fire spread quickly due to the mesh and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings.
Authorities have also moved quickly to quell dissent. Police have reportedly detained a man, who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry, for suspected sedition on Saturday. The petition was also wiped from the internet.
Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police.
VCG via Getty ImagesPolitical campaigning for the LegCo election was immediately suspended following the fire, though government-organised debate forums resumed after a few days. Carnivals organised for the election campaign were also cancelled.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee insisted the LegCo election continued as planned as “we must move forward before we can turn our grief into strength”.
He said that the new legislators would be able to quickly support reconstruction and reforms.
John P Burns, an emeritus professor and Chinese politics expert at the University of Hong Kong, said he believed the government would interpret a high turnout as a sign that voters perceive Hong Kong’s reshaped political system as “relatively legitimate”.
But he expected the numbers to be low, in part due to the Tai Po fire.
He pointed out that most Hongkongers have traditionally supported the pan-democrat opposition – which have effectively been barred from taking part. “I think they won’t be convinced to participate this time, just as they mostly stayed away in 2021.”
Mobilising pro-establishment voters following the fire would be difficult for the government as well, he added.
Some in that camp will be impressed by how authorities have speedily re-housed those made homeless in the fire and the aid authorities have provided, “which by any measure has been rapid and relatively generous”, noted Prof Burns.
But others may have stayed away from the polls as they were “disappointed, even angry, by the governance problems the fire has exposed”, he said.
Hong Kong’s national security office this week reposted a commentary from a pro-Beijing news outlet that urged residents to vote to show support for government’s reconstruction efforts.
“Building a good future together starts with this vote. If you truly love Hong Kong, you should sincerely vote,” the commentary said.
This year’s LegCo election featured a number of new faces, with about a quarter of the incumbent lawmakers stepping down.
Local media reports that Beijing pressured several lawmakers to retire as it had unofficially set an age limit.
A number of those stepping down are aged above 70, including the prominent politician Regina Ip, a former security chief nicknamed the “Iron Lady”.
Jamie Dimon envisions a future where we work less but live more fulfilling lives with the help of AI.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon reiterated a nuanced and overall upbeat view about the effect of artificial intelligence on the economy.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, the head of the world’s biggest bank acknowledged businesses have been cautious about hiring lately but said it’s not related to AI and doubted that the technology will dramatically reduce jobs in the next year.
“For the most part, AI is going to do great stuff for mankind, like tractors did, like fertilizers did, like vaccines did,” he said. “You know maybe one day we’ll be working less hard but having wonderful lives.”
Dimon added that AI still needs proper regulation to mitigate the downside risks, just like other innovations throughout history.
He also repeated his earlier warning that AI will eliminate jobs, but urged people to focus on uniquely human skills like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and communication.
If AI sweeps through the economy so quickly that workers can’t adapt to new roles in time, Dimon suggested the public sector and private sector have roles to play.
“We—government and we the companies, society—should look at how do we phase it in a way that we don’t damage a lot of people,” he explained. “We should have done a little bit more on trade assistance years ago when you had a town that got damaged by the closure of a plant. And that you can do: you can retrain people, relocate people, income assistance, early retirement.”
Meanwhile, AI is also creating jobs in the near term as new infrastructure requires more construction and fiber optics, he pointed out.
The comments were his latest on AI in recent months. In November, Dimon predicted AI will help the developed world transition to a shorter workweek of just three and a half days sometime in the next 20-40 years.
And at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in October, he said governments and companies must plan for an AI future to avoid a social backlash.
“It will eliminate jobs. People should stop sticking their heads in the sand,” he warned.
Abu Shabab’s demise highlights the impending collapse of Israel’s Gaza strategy | Israel-Palestine conflict
“[The death of Yasser Abu Shabab] marks the end of a dark chapter – one that did not reflect our tribe’s history and principles …The Tarabin tribe stands with the Palestinian resistance in all its factions … it refuses to let our tribe’s name or members be exploited to form militias that work for the benefit of the occupation.”
This is what Gaza’s Tarabin tribe said in a statement following the killing of its member Yasser Abu Shabab on December 4. There have been conflicting reports about how he died and who killed him. Some have said it was Hamas fighters who shot him, others that members of his own tribe did. Reportedly, he was taken to an Israeli hospital, where he died of his wounds.
Israel framed the killing as a “tribal dispute” rather than retribution for his collaboration; this was also the position of the Popular Forces militia, which Abu Shabab commanded. This narrative, of course, ignores the fact that his own tribe saw him as a collaborator and welcomed his death.
Throughout the war, Abu Shabab’s name was synonymous with collaboration with Israel. He was a key partner in Gaza in securing safe passage for Israeli troops, searching for Israeli captives, killing Palestinian resistance members, and, most infamously, looting aid trucks. Before he was killed, Abu Shabab was reportedly being considered for the position of governor of Rafah to be appointed by Israel.
His death deals a massive blow to Israel’s efforts to establish a new Palestinian administration in Gaza that responds to its wishes and oppresses the Palestinians. It is yet another proof that the Palestinian people will never accept colonial rule.
For decades, Israel has used collaborators to undermine Palestinian unity and governance. In the early 1980s, it spearheaded the creation of so-called “village leagues” in the occupied West Bank. These represented institutions of local rule headed by individuals funded and protected by Israel in exchange for their loyalty. The aim was to diminish the influence of the Palestine Liberation Organization and spread disunity. However, the leagues were rejected by the Palestinians as illegitimate, and the whole initiative collapsed within a few years.
Now Israel is trying to replicate the same model in Gaza. Funding and arming Abu Shabab was supposed to create a centre of coercive power in Gaza, which would have been fully loyal to Israel. It would have allowed the Israeli occupation to come after the resistance, exterminating its fighters, without having to get its soldiers involved any more or bearing the diplomatic cost of doing so.
Even if Abu Shabab had not succeeded in establishing control over Rafah or the whole of Gaza, sowing internal conflict would have been beneficial enough for Israel. It would have undermined internal security in Gaza, damaging the cohesion of the Palestinian society and encouraging people to leave.
But just like in the past, Israel’s plan was doomed to fail.
Although Abu Shabab had significant financial and military support from the occupation, he could not convince his tribe to follow him or the people of Rafah to join him. He was only able to recruit takfiri extremists, criminals and formerly imprisoned collaborators.
The vast majority of Palestinians saw him as a collaborator. Abu Shabab could not recruit even among those who oppose or dislike the resistance factions because they too would not sell out their principles and work for the genocidal power killing Palestinians every day.
While Abu Shabab provided Israel with security and technical services on the ground, his power was built entirely on crimes and theft, which made him just a hated traitor, not a leader. Despite bragging in videos about giving away stolen aid to the poor or building tent camps with looted tents, he was unable to rally people behind himself.
The Israeli plan to make Abu Shabab into a governor failed because it failed to take into account that one cannot build legitimate governance on crimes.
As much as Israel tried to protect him, his death was inevitable. His tribe and others in Rafah could not accept his collaboration with the occupation, which hurt their honour and longstanding moral ground.
When news of Abu Shabab’s death spread, people in Gaza celebrated, going out into the streets and distributing sweets. Palestinians who had different perspectives about Hamas’s actions were united in their joy. Israel’s attempt to put its hand on Gaza’s future was severed.
Abu Shabab’s death, in the end, sent a powerful message: that any collaborator is a target and no collaborator can achieve legitimacy. After more than two years of genocide, the Palestinian people’s spirit has not broken; they have not given up on their land and on their just cause.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Live Nation set to acquire Royal Arena in Copenhagen with 17,000 capacity
Live Nation Entertainment has agreed to acquire Royal Arena from Realdania and Copenhagen City, marking another expansion for the concerts giant in Europe.
The deal gives Live Nation control of the 17,000–capacity venue that it has operated since the venue opened in 2017.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in 2026, the company said on Monday (December 1).
Following the transaction, Live Nation says it will invest in infrastructure upgrades including expanded hospitality areas and VIP experiences, improved backstage facilities for touring artists and crews, and renewable energy systems.
Live Nation plans to add rooftop solar panels, convert to full LED lighting, and install two 4.5-megawatt batteries to store renewable energy, targeting annual savings exceeding 800,000 kWh.
The venue has hosted performances by Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, and Danish artists including MØ and Lukas Graham. Recent additions include The Vinyl Room presented by Bang & Olufsen, an exclusive lounge space.
“Now, as both owner and operator, Live Nation is even more committed to the venue and the surrounding area, and we look forward to developing it for many years to come.”
Anders Kjørup, Royal Arena
Royal Arena is located in Copenhagen’s Ørestad district. It was designed by award-winning Danish architecture firm 3XN with Cradle to Cradle certified materials and recyclable wooden fins.
This month, Royal Arena is hosting shows for acts like Radiohead, James Arthur, Lorde and BIG TIME RUSH.
Anders Kjørup, CEO of Royal Arena, said: “From the first concert in 2017, when Metallica took to the stage, the Danes have been in love with this amazing building—delivering world-class experiences for artists and fans alike. Now, as both owner and operator, Live Nation is even more committed to the venue and the surrounding area, and we look forward to developing it for many years to come.”
Live Nation’s acquisition comes as Denmark’s live music sector contributes 10.2 billion Danish kroner (approx. USD $1.6 billion) annually to the economy, and supports thousands of jobs, according to industry data.
Realdania CEO Nina Kovsted Helk said: “Realdania’s philanthropic mission is to create quality of life for all through the built environment. This includes contributing to urban development by creating buildings like Royal Arena that form a framework for communities and memorable experiences.”
“We’re proud to have helped bring a world-class multi-purpose arena to Copenhagen – and to Denmark as a whole. It was never Realdania’s intention to be the long-term owner of the arena, and the time has now come to sell.”
Nina Kovsted Helk, Realdania
“We’re proud to have helped bring a world-class multi-purpose arena to Copenhagen – and to Denmark as a whole. It was never Realdania’s intention to be the long-term owner of the arena, and the time has now come to sell. We’re therefore very pleased with this agreement.”
The acquisition expands Live Nation’s presence in Denmark. In 2019, the company acquired Danish booking agency and artist management company PDH Music.
Across Europe, Live Nation has also expanded its presence. In Q3 2025, the company reported a 60% YoY jump in fans who showed up for stadium shows globally to over 51 million fans, driven by growth in Europe and Mexico.
However, the company is facing a regulatory probe in Belgium. The Belgian Competition Authority launched an investigation in November into Live Nation’s recent acquisition of the country’s Pukkelpop, an annual music festival near the city of Hasselt.
The investigation will assess how the takeover might affect competition in festival organization and the broader live entertainment sector, given Live Nation’s extensive operations across the industry.
Recent acquisitions by Live Nation include Team Event, a New Zealand-based festival producer behind Electric Avenue; an additional 24% stake in Mexican concert promoter OCESA for $646 million; SD Concerts, a live entertainment company in the Dominican Republic; and Hayashi International Promotions (HIP), a Japan-focused live music promoter of both domestic and international artists.
Music Business Worldwide
Shakur Stevenson challenges outcome of Isaac Cruz vs Lamont Roach Jr draw: “Not buying it”
Former WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach had to endure the third draw of his career last night after being held by Isaac Cruz.
The 30-year-old’s first came in 2018 after a drab encounter with Orlando Cruz, a fight many felt Roach deserved to win. Then, in March this year, he was again unlucky not to have beaten superstar Gervonta Davis.
Roach stepped into his third weight class last night, taking on Mexican marauder Cruz over 12 rounds in the PBC main event at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
In the third session, Roach touched down, handing Cruz the upper hand in the round, but the 27-year-old was docked a point in the seventh for an illegal blow.
Judges Nathan Palmer and Cory A. Santos both scored it 113-113, while Chris Tellez returned a 115-111 card for Cruz who retained his WBC Interim super-lightweight belt.
Across the three draws in his career Roach, staggeringly, has only been awarded victory from one of the nine judges who scored the Orlando Cruz, Davis and Isaac Cruz fights.
Roach appeared to have done enough to win, though former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr felt Cruz edged it. Shakur Stevenson, aiming to become a four-weight world champion when he moves to 140lbs for his next fight next month against WBO title-holder Teofimo Lopez, also weighed in. The 28-year-old posted his reaction on X, saying:
“I thought Lamont pulled that off too.”
Roach voiced his frustration afterwards but remains in line for major opportunities next year –– including a potential rematch against “Pitbull” Cruz.
I thought Lamont pulled that off too
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) December 7, 2025
UN watchdog reports that Chernobyl radiation shield has lost safety function due to drone strike
A protective shield covering the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine can no longer provide its main containment function following a drone strike earlier this year, according to a UN watchdog.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors found that the massive structure, built over the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster, had lost its “primary safety functions including the confinement capability”.
In February, Ukraine accused Russia of targeting the power plant – a claim the Kremlin denied.
The IAEA said repairs were “essential” to “prevent further degradation” of the nuclear shelter. However environmental expert Jim Smith told the BBC: “It is not something to panic about.”
Prof Smith from the University of Portsmouth in the UK, who has studied the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, said the biggest danger linked to the site was disturbing radioactive dust.
But he said that “the risk is low” because contaminated dust is contained within a thick concrete “sarcophagus” which is covered by the protective shield.
The 1986 explosion at Chernobyl blasted radioactive material into the air, triggering a public health emergency across Europe.
In response, the former Soviet Union constructed the sarcophagus over the nuclear reactor.
The sarcophagus only had a 30-year lifespan, prompting the need for the protective shell to prevent radioactive material leaking out over the next 100 years.
The IAEA said a team had completed a safety assessment of the site last week after it was “severely damaged” by the drone strike. The attack caused a fire in the outer cladding of the steel structure.
Inspectors said there was no permanent damage to shell’s load-bearing structures or monitoring systems and some repairs had been carried out on the roof.
But IAEA director general Rafael Grossi, said: “Timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.”
Since the beginning of December, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has been assessing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as the country continues to defend itself against Russia.
Overnight, Russia launched airstrikes on the city of Kremenchuk, a major industrial hub in the centre of Ukraine.
As well as assessing Chernobyl, the IAEA has been inspecting electrical substations linked to nuclear safety and security.
Mr Grossi said: “They are absolutely indispensable for providing the electricity all nuclear power plants need for reactor cooling and other safety systems.
“They are also needed to distribute the electricity that they produce to households and industry.”
How AI Wildlife Videos are Negatively Impacting Genuine Conservation Efforts
In recent months, AI-generated wildlife clips have flooded social media, merging real animal behavior with playful fabrications. From leopards in backyards and raccoons riding crocodiles, to bunnies on trampolines, scientists warn that these digital deepfakes are distorting people’s sense of what the natural world looks like. And when people cannot distinguish real wildlife from digital fiction, conservation loses something essential: A public that understands what is really at stake.
Researchers at the University of Córdoba in Spain have examined how AI-generated wildlife images and videos circulating on social media can distort public understanding of animals and their habitats. The team explores how realistic synthetic content influences people’s perception of species behavior, ecological relationships, and rarity – particularly when those fabricated clips resemble real footage and spread at alarming speed across social platforms.
At first glance, it’s fair to assume these AI generated wildlife videos are harmless: A leopard strolling through a suburban backyard; a fox stealing someone’s mail; a capybara politely sharing a bathtub with a golden retriever. And my personal favorite, bunny gymnastics on the trampoline.
You absolutely know some of it is fake, but the videos are such a distraction it takes a beat to calibrate. And then reality sets in. How could these videos impact public perception of animals and their environment?
The team highlights how quickly these clips can spread. In one prominent case, an AI-generated video of a leopard entering a backyard and being chased off by a house cat earned over a million likes and more than 15,000 shares. The authors argue that such hyper-viral examples show how realistic fabrications can move through social media ecosystems at overwhelming speed, blurring the line between authentic wildlife encounters and synthetic ones.
“They reflect characteristics, behaviors, habitats, or relationships between species that are not real,” said lead author José Guerrero-Casado. “For example, we see predators and pray playing. They show us animals with human behaviors that are far from reality,”
That confusion is exactly what worries conservation scientists. Researchers argue that AI wildlife content is already reshaping how the public understands ecosystems. When fake videos make rare species look common, or portray dangerous animals as harmless companions, the baseline for what nature looks like starts to drift.
If people come to expect to see crocodiles and raccoons hanging out together, the real behavior of these species feels less remarkable, and threats to their survival feel less urgent.
While it may seem hard to grasp that such videos could take hold, believing these pairings is easier than it sounds. Imagine a young child scrolling through Instagram on an older sibling’s phone, for example. A single AI-generated clip of a crocodile and a raccoon playing then triggers the algorithm, and suddenly their feed is filled with similar scenes.
Without anyone to tell them otherwise, these fabrications become familiar. And once something feels familiar, the brain treats it as normal.
If nothing more accurate replaces that impression, the child risks growing up with a distorted baseline for how wildlife behaves and where animals belong. Especially if the videos continue to flood social media unchecked. Multiply that by millions of viewers, year after year, and the gap between digital nature and the real world widens.
For conservation groups that rely on public trust and accurate storytelling, this shift is significant. The more these fabricated moments spread across social feeds, the harder it becomes to communicate what species actually need, what habitats really look like, and how fragile many ecosystems already are.
Researchers point out that these fabrications distort three key realities: how rare an animal is, how it behaves, and where it belongs. A species that exists in only a handful of protected regions might suddenly appear in suburban neighborhoods. Predators seem gentle. Habitat boundaries dissolve.
The more these clips circulate, the easier it becomes for people to misjudge population health, misunderstand risks, or overlook the urgency of protecting the ecosystems that keep these species alive.
The clips may be digital, but the consequences are not.
Scientists studying this trend say the solution isn’t to abandon AI outright, but to understand and educate how quickly it can reshape public perception. Many conservation efforts rely on showing people what is rare, fragile, or threatened, and that depends on trust. When AI-generated wildlife becomes more visible than the real thing, that trust erodes.
“There is already a total disconnect between citizens and wildlife, which is particularly pronounced among primary school children, as we saw in the IncluScienceMe project, which demonstrates a lack of knowledge of local fauna among young children,” said co-author Rocío Serrano. “These videos create false connections with nature, as vulnerable species appear more abundant in these videos, and that is negative for conservation.”
Researchers recommend clear labeling, improvements in platform oversight, and encouraging transparency about what is real and what is synthetic. But they also stress the need for education. If people understand how these clips are made, and why they spread so easily, they are far less likely to mistake them for authentic encounters.
The reality is, now more than ever, what we see online shapes what we believe about the natural world. If AI-generated wildlife keeps filling our feeds, it becomes harder to remember how extraordinary real animals are and how vulnerable many of them have become. The clips may be entertaining, but the ecosystems they imitate are already under strain, and they cannot compete with the speed or sensational pull of a synthetic nature.
The more we learn to tell the difference, the more clearly we can see what is at stake. Real conservation begins with deep respect and understanding, and that starts with knowing which moments in our feeds come from living landscapes and which ones come from a machine.
This study was published in the Conservation Biology
Source: University of Córdoba