Unmasking Venezuelan Celebration Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic pictures claiming to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his capture by the US have garnered many millions of views online.
How Fake Pictures of the President Surfaced Within Hours
The first inauthentic synthetic picture apparently displaying him being escorted off a plane surfaced within hours. This image was absent from any authoritative American sources; rather, it was uploaded on X by an profile purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked an AI-watermark detector, confirming the image was produced or modified with Google AI.
Additional AI-generated pictures started circulating in the following period, appearing to show different views of the leader in custody. Noticeable logos on these images reveal they originated from an Instagram profile called ultravfx.
SynthID says all of these pictures were likewise generated or edited generative models.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Persisted
Donald Trump shared the initial authentic image of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. However, despite the authentic image was released, synthetic images kept circulating but were altered to include the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.
Reverse image searches show these altered fabrications were initially shared on TikTok by a digital art profile. Once again, analysis found the new graphics were generated or edited Google AI.
Important Facts:
- Synthetic media spread rapidly after the news of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake picture was shared very quickly on social media.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
- Fake images persisted to circulate and be updated despite the publication of authentic photographs.
- The origin of several fabricated images was traced to specific online accounts dedicated to graphic design.
