Unmasking Venezuelan Victory Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic graphics claiming to show Venezuela's president detained following his apprehension by the US have garnered countless of views online.
How Fake Pictures of the President Emerged Within Hours
Initial fake AI image seemingly displaying him led off a plane circulated within hours. The picture was absent from any authoritative US channels; it was instead uploaded on X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked Google’s SynthID, determining the picture was generated or edited with AI tools.
Additional synthetic pictures were disseminated in the subsequent period, seemingly depicting additional perspectives of Maduro in custody. Discernible logos on these pictures reveal they originated from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
The detection tool indicates all of these pictures were also created or altered AI technology.
Real Photo Posted but Fabrications Persisted
The former US president released the initial authentic image of Maduro handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. However, despite this real photo was published, AI-generated images kept circulating but were updated to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Online investigation indicate these updated fakes were initially shared on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Once again, SynthID confirms these further images were generated or edited AI tools.
Important Facts:
- AI-generated content circulated quickly after the news of the president's apprehension.
- The initial fabricated image appeared within hours on social media.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to verify the pictures as inauthentic.
- Fabrications persisted to spread and evolve despite the publication of real photographs.
- The origin of many fabricated images was linked to specific online accounts dedicated to AI art.
