Debunking Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic images claiming to depict Venezuela's president in custody after his capture by the United States have amassed many millions of views on social media.
The Way AI Images of the President Appeared Rapidly
The first fake synthetic picture apparently showing him being escorted off a aircraft surfaced a brief time later. This image was absent from any official government accounts; it was instead published on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”.
Verification involved an AI-watermark detector, which found the image was produced or modified with generative AI.
Additional synthetic images were disseminated in the subsequent hours, seemingly depicting more angles of the leader under guard. Discernible identifying marks on the graphics indicate they originated from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
SynthID indicates all of these images were also created or altered generative models.
Authentic Image Released but Fakes Persisted
The former US president shared the initial authentic image of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. But even after this real photo was released, synthetic images kept circulating but were updated to incorporate the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro.
Digital forensics indicate these updated fakes were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art account. Similarly, SynthID confirms the new graphics were generated or edited generative artificial intelligence.
Important Facts:
- Deepfakes circulated quickly following the announcement of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake picture was shared on the same day on platform X.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID were used to verify the images as inauthentic.
- Fake images continued to circulate and be updated even after the release of authentic images.
- The origin of many fabricated images was linked to social media accounts dedicated to graphic design.
