Exposing Venezuelan Victory Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Computer-created pictures claiming to depict Nicolás Maduro detained following his capture by the US have amassed many millions of impressions across the internet.
The Way AI Images of Maduro Emerged Rapidly
Initial inauthentic AI image apparently showing him led off a aircraft surfaced shortly after. This image was unpublished by any authoritative American sources; rather, it was uploaded on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
We’ve checked the SynthID tool, which found the picture was created or altered with Google AI.
Additional synthetic images were disseminated in the ensuing hours, purporting to present different views of Maduro detained. Noticeable logos on these pictures show they originated from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
SynthID confirms all of these images were also generated or edited Google AI.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Continued
Donald Trump posted the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. But even after this confirmation was released, AI-generated images persisted online but were altered to show the gray sweatsuit seen on Maduro.
Digital forensics indicate the new fake images were first posted on TikTok by a graphic design profile. Similarly, SynthID says the new graphics were generated or edited AI tools.
Important Facts:
- Deepfakes spread rapidly after the news of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake picture was shared on the same day on platform X.
- Tools like Google’s SynthID helped to identify the pictures as AI-generated.
- Fake images continued to circulate and be updated even after the publication of authentic images.
- The origin of many fabricated images was traced to social media accounts focused on AI art.
