Education Ministry sparks uproar with AI-generated image of first graders

The Education Ministry found itself at the center of an online storm Friday after posting what appeared to be a cheerful photo of six children on their way to first grade.

At first glance, the picture looked real. In fact, it was created with artificial intelligence — something the ministry acknowledged only after waves of skeptical comments from Facebook users.

Alongside the image, the ministry’s post read: “School starts again next week! In the meantime, meet the only sextuplets in Israel starting first grade: Oren, Omer, Uri, Nadav, Dvir, and Gil Orenshtein. Their mother, Ilanit, said: ‘I invested so much in raising them, it’s a great miracle that they were all born healthy. I took two years off work to focus on raising the children while my husband was the sole provider. I am the most excited person in the world to see them grow up.’ Best of luck!”

The backstory, however, was as artificial as the image.

Social media users were quick to call out the fabrication. “How desperate do you have to be to use AI?” one wrote. Another joked, “This response was also created by AI — there’s no natural intelligence left in the ministry.” Others called the post “an insult to our intelligence,” while one user added, “I can’t believe even the Education Ministry is falling for AI-generated feel-good stories.”

Faced with the backlash, the ministry responded on Facebook: “OK, we admit it — these sextuplets aren’t really heading to first grade. The image was created with AI. We wanted to start the year with a smile and also remind everyone: just like in school, it’s always worth using independent thinking before assuming online. We wish everyone a curious, enjoyable school year full of good surprises.”