Debunking Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI Images of Maduro.
Synthetic graphics claiming to depict Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his apprehension by the US have amassed tens of millions of views online.
The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Rapidly
The first fabricated AI image seemingly displaying him being escorted off a aircraft emerged within hours. The picture was unpublished by any authoritative American sources; it was instead published on X by an account purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked the SynthID tool, confirming the picture was generated or edited with AI tools.
Further synthetic visuals started circulating in the following period, appearing to show more angles of Maduro in custody. Visible logos on these pictures reveal they were posted by an Instagram profile called ultravfx.
The detection tool says the further pictures were also generated or edited AI technology.
Real Photo Released but Fakes Persisted
The former US president posted the initial authentic image of Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. Yet following this real photo was made public, synthetic images persisted online but were altered to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Digital forensics show these altered fabrications were first posted on the video platform by a digital art profile. Similarly, analysis says these subsequent pictures were created or altered Google AI.
Key Points:
- Deepfakes spread rapidly following the events of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake image was shared within hours on platform X.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
- Fabrications continued to spread and be updated despite the release of authentic images.
- The origin of several fakes was linked to social media profiles dedicated to graphic design.