PSA on AI generated Tornadoes

So we had tornadoes in NJ…Except, THESE are not real (Edit: I forgot to say the last one that has a green checkmark is real and unedited…but it is a Wall Cloud. They can produce one…which did happen in Pine Brook. But there was no tornado reported in West Caldwell itself. It may look like the whole thing is a tornado, because the tree line is covering the bottom base of that cloud. Source: I’m a meteorologist).

It really bugs me when people are so confident on social media of images without doing research of who took them and if those people are credible. Sometimes it’s all for clicks.

These images are AI altered. Even non boomers online are falling for these (my friends included). They mimic real tornadoes and honestly, look good at first glance. But knowing context like the location, the exact time these were taken, and who was taking them, is extremely important.

Skinny, cone shaped

Sometimes have “debris” coming out from the bottom

And very subtle too. This one could be real, but this wasn’t near the reported tornado.

Another over Manhattan.

This is real. It’s a “wall” cloud, which is the base of a rotating storm. They are indicators of a possible funnel or tornado. But the trees block the bottom, so it gives it the appearance of a wedge tornado (the ones you see in the plains)

Always do your research. Question the legitimacy of all images (even video), since AI is getting better and better, and we have no regulation to stop misinformation.