Exposing Venezuela Victory Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Maduro.
Computer-created pictures claiming to show Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the US have gained countless of views on social media.
The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Appeared Rapidly
Initial inauthentic synthetic picture apparently displaying him taken off a plane circulated within hours. This image was not shared any verified government accounts; rather, it was uploaded on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used the SynthID tool, determining the picture was generated or edited with generative AI.
Further synthetic images were disseminated in the ensuing hours, seemingly depicting additional perspectives of the leader under guard. Discernible watermarks on these images reveal they were posted by an Instagram account named ultravfx.
AI analysis indicates all of these pictures were also created or altered AI technology.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Persisted
The former US president shared the genuine photograph of Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. However, despite this real photo was released, AI-generated pictures continued to spread but were updated to include the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.
Digital forensics show these updated fakes were originally uploaded on TikTok by a graphic design account. Similarly, the AI-watermark detector says these further images were created or altered AI tools.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media gained traction following the events of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake image appeared within hours on platform X.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to verify the pictures as inauthentic.
- Fake images continued to circulate and evolve even after the release of real images.
- The origin of several fabricated images was linked to social media profiles dedicated to graphic design.
