Episode 54 - AI and Evidence

Send us Fan Mail AI-generated video has changed the rules for cryptid research, and not just because fakes are easier to make. When footage can't be trusted, what does meaningful evidence actually look like? This episode examines the growing burden-of-proof problem across the cryptid research field, with a focus on Bigfoot and Dogman accounts. We look at how to spot AI-generated footage, the citizen-science methodology Shelly Covington-Montana has been building through forensic-standard DNA collection kits and eDNA techniques, and what a practical tiered evidence standard could look like for field researchers. We also address the harder question: what investigative tools apply when the phenomenon may not follow the rules of conventional physical biology. Support the show