Exposing Venezuela Victory Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic images purporting to show Nicolás Maduro detained after his apprehension by the United States have amassed many millions of views on social media.
The Way AI Images of the President Surfaced Rapidly
Initial fake AI image apparently displaying him taken off a aircraft emerged shortly after. The graphic was unpublished by any verified government accounts; it was instead posted on X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used Google’s SynthID, which found the picture was created or altered with Google AI.
Additional synthetic pictures were disseminated in the following period, purporting to present different views of Maduro under guard. Visible watermarks on the graphics indicate they came from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
SynthID says all of these images were also created or altered Google AI.
Real Photo Posted but Fakes Continued
The former US president shared the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. However, despite this real photo was made public, AI-generated pictures kept circulating but were altered to include the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro.
Online investigation reveal these altered fabrications were first posted on TikTok by a digital art profile. Similarly, analysis found the new graphics were generated or edited Google AI.
Important Facts:
- Synthetic media circulated quickly after the announcement of the president's apprehension.
- The initial fabricated picture was shared on the same day on platform X.
- Tools like AI-watermark detectors helped to identify the images as AI-generated.
- Fake images continued to spread and evolve even after the publication of real images.
- The source of many fakes was traced to specific online profiles dedicated to AI art.
