A Reform UK branch has issued an apology after posting AI-generated photos of a village cleanup event, an incident local councillors described as "a lesson in how not to use AI."
Volunteers from the party, associated with Nigel Farage, participated in a cleanup of a road in Sarre, Kent, last week. However, the "before and after" photos shared online quickly drew skepticism due to visual anomalies.
The doctored images showed fencing that appeared dazzlingly white and had gained an extra slat. A footpath was depicted with a fresh layer of tarmac, while a car remained in the exact same position in both the supposed "before" and "after" shots.
Mike Sole, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Canterbury City Council, pointed out the inconsistencies. "The village gateway is now newly painted and the pavement resurfaced, yet the car, clouds and shadows are unchanged," he stated. "That’s either superhuman work in the blink of an eye, or Reform are not telling the truth."
The original Facebook post has since been edited to include a photograph of the actual cleanup, which took place as part of Clean Up Britain Day.
In a subsequent post, Reform's Herne Bay and Sandwich branch apologized for the error. "The incorrect image previously posted to this Facebook page was selected and uploaded in error due to an administrative oversight," the statement read. "This local Facebook page is managed entirely by unpaid volunteers, independent of Reform UK HQ and its official PR team."
The branch affirmed that the community cleanup work did occur as described, despite the use of an incorrect image. "We sincerely apologize for this mistake and for any confusion or misunderstanding it may have caused," the statement concluded.
This incident follows a separate controversy involving Kent County Council, also run by Reform UK, which faced criticism for removing Victorian cast-iron lamp-posts. The council had cited the expense of maintaining the lamp-posts as the reason for their removal.