Online Reporter
THE gecko noodle video may have been fake, but the panic it caused was very real.
One minute, Bulawayo was happily eating noodles. The next, WhatsApp had apparently discovered the secret ingredient: lizards.
Cue the screaming, vomiting, swearing and declarations that certain people would never touch noodles again.
Then came the truth.
The geckos were innocent. AI was the culprit.
This episode may sound funny, and frankly some of the reactions were comedy gold, but there is a serious lesson buried underneath the noodles, lizards and online chaos. We are entering an era where our eyes can no longer be trusted to tell us what is real.
The video was convincing enough to send people into a feeding frenzy of outrage. Some shared it without checking. Others believed it despite being told it was fake. One netizen even admitted: “I can’t unsee what I saw. In my mind it will always be lizards…”
And that is precisely the problem.
AI-generated videos are becoming frighteningly sophisticated. They can manufacture people, voices, places and events that never existed. They can make somebody appear to say something they never said or create scenes that look like they were captured inside a real factory.
For content creators chasing clicks, likes and followers, outrage is cheap fuel. Make something disgusting.
Make it shocking.
Make people angry.
Then sit back and watch the shares roll in. The more outrageous the claim, the faster people often spread it.
That is how misinformation wins.
WhatsApp is particularly fertile ground. A message arrives from a friend, relative or someone in a neighbourhood group and suddenly it feels trustworthy.
But being forwarded by Auntie in the family group does not magically turn fake news into fact.
The noodle video should therefore give every social media user a simple instruction:
STOP BEFORE YOU SHARE.
Look closely at the footage. Does something move strangely? Do faces, hands or objects appear distorted? Does the physics make sense? Who posted the original video? Is there any credible source confirming the claim?
And, most importantly, ask the oldest question in journalism:
Who says so?
In this case, the answer was nobody credible.
A United Refineries boss confirmed the video was fake. A food inspector explained what actually goes into noodles. An IT expert pointed out the telltale signs of AI manipulation.
The evidence was there.
The problem is that truth often arrives wearing ordinary clothes while lies arrive with fireworks.
That is why we need to become harder to fool.
We can laugh at the great gecko noodle scare, but we should also learn from it.
Today it is noodles.
Tomorrow it could be a fake warning, fake celebrity endorsement, fake crime video or fake statement from someone we know.
The internet does not care whether you have checked the facts.
It only cares whether you clicked share. So, before you forward the next shocking video to the family WhatsApp group, take a breath.
Your phone may be smart. That does not mean everything on it is.
derick.khumalo