'Invasive species of flying jellyfish' swarms Japanese skies? Experts say spreading on wind, but actual photos are AI fakes.
A viral TikTok claiming that 'airborne jellyfish' have invaded Japanese airspace has racked up over 15 million views. The video shows ghost-like, translucent creatures drifting through city streets in Tokyo. While invasive species experts confirm that 'windborne jellies'—like the freshwater Craspedacusta sowerbii—can indeed travel via birds or storms, the specific footage is entirely AI-generated. The original creator admitted to using a deepfake filter to illustrate a metaphor about climate change, not a real outbreak. The real invasive species, experts clarify, is the misinformation itself.