Debunking Venezuela Celebration Videos and AI Images of Maduro.
Computer-created pictures purporting to portray Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the American authorities have gained countless of views on social media.
How Fake Pictures of Maduro Appeared Within Hours
Initial fabricated synthetic picture seemingly displaying him led off a aircraft circulated within hours. The graphic was unpublished by any authoritative government accounts; rather, it was posted on X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked Google’s SynthID, confirming the image was produced or modified with generative AI.
Further synthetic visuals were disseminated in the subsequent hours, seemingly depicting more angles of Maduro detained. Noticeable identifying marks on the graphics indicate they came from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
SynthID says these additional pictures were likewise created or altered Google AI.
Real Photo Released but Fabrications Persisted
Donald Trump released the genuine photograph of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. But even after this confirmation was made public, synthetic pictures continued to spread but were modified to show the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.
Reverse image searches indicate these updated fakes were initially shared on the video platform by a graphic design account. Similarly, the AI-watermark detector says the new graphics were generated or edited Google AI.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media spread rapidly following the events of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake picture was shared on the same day on platform X.
- Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to verify the images as inauthentic.
- Fake images persisted to circulate and evolve even after the release of authentic images.
- The origin of several fakes was linked to social media accounts focused on AI art.
