Exposing Venezuela Celebration Footage and AI Images of Maduro.
Computer-created images claiming to portray Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the United States have garnered countless of views online.
How Fake Pictures of the President Surfaced Within Hours
The first fabricated AI image apparently displaying him being escorted off a plane circulated shortly after. The picture was not shared any verified government accounts; rather, it was posted on X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used the SynthID tool, which found the picture was produced or modified with Google AI.
More AI-generated images were disseminated in the ensuing hours, purporting to present different views of Maduro under guard. Visible identifying marks on these pictures show they originated from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
The detection tool confirms the further pictures were likewise produced using Google AI.
Real Photo Released but Fabrications Continued
Donald Trump shared the genuine photograph of Maduro handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. But even after this real photo was published, synthetic images persisted online but were modified to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Online investigation indicate these altered fabrications were initially shared on TikTok by a graphic design profile. Once again, the AI-watermark detector found these subsequent pictures were produced with Google AI.
Key Points:
- AI-generated content circulated quickly after the announcement of Maduro's capture.
- The initial fabricated picture was shared on the same day on social media.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to identify the images as synthetic.
- Fake images persisted to circulate and be updated even after the publication of authentic photographs.
- The origin of several fakes was linked to specific online accounts dedicated to AI art.
