Fake AI Images of sites and attractions in Hong Kong
Images spreading like a virus and distorting reality
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Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
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The Iconic Star Ferry in Hong Kong | Totally fake AI Image | Hong Kong
It is not often I get surprised on subjects related to tourism and private tours in Hong Kong but last night... well I was surprised to see this image in my in box and sent by a trusted friend.
I know immediately that it was a fake AI image because I have been on the Star Ferry in Hong Kong many, many thousands of times and taken many pictures of the ferries in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.
What struck me was the image actually looks genuine on the first look an hence my immediate concern was that tourists that do not know Hong Kong would think that this is a genuine image (particularly tourists using social media) and they may decide to come to Hong Kong on the strength of one amazing image that is in reality a totally fake image.
The reality will hit home if they come here and see that the real Star Ferry has 2 decks and not 3 decks and is so overloaded that it would capsize and sink, imagine their disappointment
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© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | Image taken by Jamie
The actual Iconic Star Ferry in Hong Kong | Totally GENUINE Image | Hong Kong
The picture above is a real image that I took of the iconic Star Ferry and you can immediately see the difference but it lacks the wow factor of the fake AI image and that is a real concern.
It has been quite a while since I have seen a fake image (it was in 2024) and I wrote a blog post about that as well. The image was a view from Victoria Peak, the problem was who ever created the image added in a set of steps and railings that do not exist and this we requested the site take down the image because it was promoting tours and such and when I saw it, it had already gotten something like 1,900+ likes and lots comments with people raving about it and wanting to know where to go for that view
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© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | Image taken by Jamie
The actual Iconic Star Ferry in Hong Kong | Totally GENUINE Image | Hong Kong
I now know that my friend created the image and it was meant as satire, bascially Hong Kong suffers from overtourism and 75% to 80% of our visitors come from Mainland China every year and recently particularly on weekends and holidays there have been outrageously long lines to get on the ferry and a couple of times I have had to go to plan b and scrap going on the ferry because of the lines.
As satire of a serious subject it really hits the nail on the head because it could happen just not in quite a dramatic way, for most people viewing it for the first time, it has that social media wow factor!
The images that I took are very real, taken with a proper camera and only light photoshop touches
The point being, is that when you come to Hong Kong and you have a decent camera you can get the same sort of image
I am now reading a lot of travel blogs and travel news sources and I am finding AT altered images in even reputable online news sources and you know what these doctored images are starting to annoy me greatly, it is not reality and it skews peoples perceptions of Hong Kong.
I do not do food tours
I am pleased to say a lot of Food Tour Companies will have egg tarts on their tasting menu
I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese, I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene and it is not through lack of trying and yes a lot of restaurants do not have English menu’s or staff who speak conversational English.
.. and yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972, my wife was born in Hong Kong and we have been together over 40 years and her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese so I have never had much of an issue!
This does not translate to doing food tours though, yes, I could do them, no problem there but they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends (see the 3 links above) most of their awesome guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and obviously food culture is part of their DNA, it is impossible for me to compete with that!
So please feel free to contact them for food tours
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong |
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