Debunking Venezuela Victory Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Maduro.
Computer-created pictures purporting to show Venezuela's president in custody following his capture by the American authorities have gained tens of millions of views across the internet.
How Fake Pictures of the President Surfaced Within Hours
Initial fabricated synthetic picture seemingly displaying him being escorted off a plane circulated a brief time later. The graphic was not shared any authoritative US channels; it was instead uploaded on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Verification involved an AI-watermark detector, determining the image was generated or edited with AI tools.
Further AI-generated visuals began to spread in the ensuing period, seemingly depicting more angles of the leader detained. Noticeable watermarks on these images reveal they were posted by an Instagram profile called ultravfx.
AI analysis says these additional pictures were similarly generated or edited Google AI.
Authentic Image Released but Fakes Continued
The former US president released the genuine photograph of Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. But even after this confirmation was released, AI-generated images persisted online but were altered to include the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro.
Digital forensics reveal these updated fakes were originally uploaded on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Once again, analysis confirms these further images were generated or edited AI tools.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media spread rapidly after the events of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake image appeared very quickly on platform X.
- Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to verify the images as synthetic.
- Fabrications continued to circulate and be updated even after the release of authentic photographs.
- The source of many fabricated images was traced to specific online profiles focused on graphic design.
