An AI-generated image of what was said to be the ancient, underwater forest off the coast of Gulf Shores was shared over a thousand times last week, sparking concern over the use of computer-made imagery in a world of virality.

Sweet Home Alabama, an account with a public Facebook group of the same name with 65,000 Facebook followers, shared the image to the group on Sunday. It was then shared by the official City of Orange Beach account.

Neither mentioned AI until it had been shared more than a thousand times.

A similar situation unfolded last year when an AI-generated photo, featuring a crying girl surrounded by floodwaters and holding a puppy, went viral after Hurricane Helene. This image circulated across social media, and many people believed it to be real.

Mark Dolan, professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi who teaches narrative journalism, new media and photography, said identifying an AI image depends on “a lot of factors.”

He said it will have “a pasted feel,” and people will often look “too good to be true.” He encouraged looking at the “context” of the image and looking for things that seem out of place or not quite right.

“And teeth, which look odd,” Dolan said, “(like) somewhere between Chiclets (chewing gum) and a skeleton's gumless teeth.”

WHAT ABOUT THE UNDERWATER FOREST?

There is a 60,000-year-old submerged forest off the coast of Gulf Shores, but its exact location has been kept secret since its discovery in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan disturbed the ocean floor, uncovering the ancient cypress grove that sits about 60 feet below the surface.

In 2018, the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) assisted journalist Ben Raines in producing “The Underwater Forest,” a documentary that explores its discovery. In 2020, with the help of former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, ACF began lobbying for legislation to designate the area as a National Marine Sanctuary, which would federally protect it.

If left unprotected and finable by the public, Raines, ACF and other supporters of the designation have voiced worry over the years that it could be subject to commercial exploitation, such as for timber.

Raines traveled to Washington, D.C. in January 2024 to testify for the bill, showing portions of the documentary and explaining what lies and lives within the forest. If federally protected, the location will be made public and likely used for conservation ecotourism.

Raines said he was frustrated with the AI image making the rounds online.

“Any time someone presents a false AI generated image and claims it is a wild place you can see in Alabama, they are damaging all of our work to create an ecotourism economy," he said Wednesday. "Alabama has incredible, world-class nature. The last thing we need, want or should allow is for a city agency to present lies to the public. It is a shame this happened and was so widely shared. The people responsible should not be allowed to post any AI images and claim they represent the real landscape or seascape of Alabama ever again.”

The City of Orange Beach added a note several hours after sharing the image that it was used for “illustrative purposes only” and linked to Raines’ documentary.

After GCM posted a Reel on social media and reached out to the city, Orange Beach City Administrator Ford Handley told the paper they would remove the post.

"In no way were we trying to mislead with the photo. We were just trying to raise awareness of the underground forest," he said.

You can watch the documentary on YouTube by searching “The Underwater Forest” “Ben Raines.”

This story was updated May 20, 2025.