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AI-Edited Photos of St Michael’s Mount Misused to Downplay Sea-Level Rise
By Drooid · · How we work
Misleading Photo Comparison Claims Sea-Level Rise Is a Hoax
In 2026, two images of the causeway that links the Cornish mainland to the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount were shared on Facebook as a “then-and-now” comparison. One picture, presented in black-and-white, was labelled “1906,” while the other, marked “2026,” showed the same view with the caption “Apocalyptic Sea Level Rise.” The post, first seen on September 18, suggested that sea-level rise is negligible and warned that the region would be underwater only after an implausibly long period.
How the Images Were Created and Why They Misrepresent Tides
An analysis that employed OpenAI’s verification tool detected invisible watermarks indicating that the images were likely generated or altered with AI models. The tool’s findings, combined with visual inconsistencies, show that the 2026 image does not accurately depict the current landscape.
Scientific Context of Sea-Level Change Around St Michael’s Mount
The State of the UK Climate in 2025 report states that the United Kingdom’s mean sea level has risen by approximately 20.1 cm (7.9 inches) since 1901, with about two-thirds of that increase occurring in the last three decades. A spokesperson for the National Oceanography Centre explained that such a gradual rise is far smaller than the daily tidal variations at St Michael’s Mount, which can exceed 4.5 m (14.8 ft) between high and low tide. Forecast data from the UK Hydrographic Office indicated that on September 30 the water level at nearby Newlyn (the nearest tide-gauge station) was expected to reach 5.5 m (18 ft) at the morning high tide, a difference of roughly 4.5 m from the afternoon low tide. Because the photographs were taken at unknown points in the tidal cycle, any visual comparison that ignores these fluctuations cannot serve as evidence about long-term sea-level trends.
Official Responses
A spokesperson for St Michael’s Mount said by email that the 2026 image is inaccurate, noting errors in the causeway path, boat positions, signage, and tree coverage, and warned that it should not be presented as a genuine photograph of the site in 2026. The National Oceanography Centre’s representative similarly emphasized that the tidal range, not the modest century-scale sea-level rise, dominates the visual appearance of the causeway.
Implications for Climate-Change Disinformation
The AI-generated comparison illustrates how edited visual media can be deployed to reinforce climate-change denial narratives, bypassing scientific nuance such as the distinction between long-term sea-level rise and short-term tidal swings. Fact-checking efforts that identify watermark signatures and contextualize tidal data are essential to counteract misinformation that may influence public perception and policy discussions on climate mitigation.