Westbrook Police Apologize for Sharing AI-Altered Drug Evidence Photo

WESTBROOK, Maine — The Westbrook Police Department has issued a public apology after inadvertently sharing an AI-altered photograph of seized drug evidence on social media. The department posted the original image to its Facebook page on June 29, where it was intended to inform the public about a recent drug bust on Brackett Street.

Authorities initially shared the photo showing a collection of drug paraphernalia, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, seized during the arrests. After receiving several inquiries about the altered image, the police confirmed that the picture had been manipulated using the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to add the department’s patch.

Captain Steve Goldberg explained, “Unbeknownst to anyone, when the app added the patch, it altered the packaging and some of the other attributes on the photograph. None of us caught it or realized it.” The department emphasized that the altered photo had significant discrepancies compared to the original, with mistaken gibberish text and missing items.

Social media users quickly identified the manipulation, prompting the police to delete the original post. Following the backlash, Westbrook police released a side-by-side comparison of the original and edited images, clarifying that it was never their intention to alter the evidence. “We apologize for this oversight. It was never our intent to alter the image of the evidence,” the department stated.

The department reassured the public that the image represented a legitimate drug seizure and explained that unusual packaging is common in drug-related cases. They also admitted that they should have scrutinized the shared image more closely before posting.

To restore public trust, Westbrook police plan to invite media representatives to view the original evidence firsthand. The incident has been described as a learning experience by the agency as they navigate the challenges posed by the increasing use of artificial intelligence.