Don't Fall for Viral Kentucky Bigfoot Photo

Bigfoot, where would be as Americans without you? I'm glad we'll never have to know. You're way too much fun...I mean for a creature known for being a recluse. But just HOW reclusive are you?

Kentucky and Bigfoot

Here's where I lose the second-person narrative and dig into the phenomenal folklore of Bigfoot. There have been reported sightings of the big guy in every state but Hawaii--I guess he doesn't like to swim or, at the very least, hates flying--and Kentucky is hardly an exception. Satelliteinternet.com informs us that there have been 113 reports in the Commonwealth as of June 12th, 2023. I'm not sure about the date range on that stat, so I wonder if that number includes Georgetown, KY in Scott County, which seems to have a sort of Bigfoot history. Let's start with 2022.

That absolutely could be someone in a costume. But I'll play devil's advocate and admit that it is VERY convincing. On the other hand, this WAS taken in January, a time when wearing a costume like that might actually be comfortable. Hey look, we all know that most sightings resemble this one--up to and including the most famous sighting of all time:

But a growing phenomenon may actually have a twofold effect on the Bigfoot mythology. I'm talking about artificial intelligence. If AI can almost perfectly recreate the voice of your favorite singer or be used to create an image of someone famous that you'd have a hard time questioning, then why couldn't AI create authentic-looking Bigfoot images.

Viral Photo of Kentucky Man and Bigfoot Looks Authentic But Isn't

Coupled with that 2022 story, THIS image could really enhance Scott County KY's Bigfoot history...except that it's phony.

What Will Happen to the Bigfoot Legend in the AI Generation?

That very authentic looking image is circling social media, but it has also been busted by Reuters Fact Check as an AI-generated image. Here's the exact same image with the claim that it was taken in Alabama. And below, in the comments, you'll see more convincing fakes.

It never occurred to me, but it makes sense. With all that AI can do, Bigfoot images are no-brainers. And, in my opinion, that makes the whole Bigfoot legend more complicated. Don't be surprised if we begin to see a flurry of images like these.

I hate to break it to you Scott County, but all you still have is the January 2022 incident. Run with it.