Exposing Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Computer-created images purporting to depict Nicolás Maduro in custody following his capture by the US have gained tens of millions of views online.
How Fake Pictures of the President Surfaced Within Hours
The first inauthentic AI image apparently displaying him led off a plane circulated within hours. The graphic was unpublished by any authoritative American sources; rather, it was posted on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, which found the picture was produced or modified with Google AI.
More AI-generated pictures were disseminated in the subsequent hours, purporting to present more angles of Maduro under guard. Noticeable watermarks on these pictures indicate they were posted by an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
SynthID indicates the further images were similarly created or altered generative models.
Real Photo Released but Fakes Continued
Donald Trump shared the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. Yet following this confirmation was made public, AI-generated images persisted online but were updated to include the grey tracksuit seen on Maduro.
Online investigation show these updated fakes were originally uploaded on the video platform by a digital art account. Similarly, SynthID confirms the new graphics were produced with generative artificial intelligence.
Important Facts:
- Synthetic media gained traction after the announcement of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake image was shared within hours on social media.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID were used to identify the pictures as inauthentic.
- Fabrications persisted to spread and evolve even after the release of real photographs.
- The source of many fabricated images was traced to specific online profiles focused on graphic design.
