Debunking Venezuelan Victory Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic graphics claiming to depict Venezuela's president under arrest following his apprehension by the United States have gained countless of views on social media.
How AI Images of the President Emerged Soon After
Initial fake AI image seemingly displaying him taken off a plane emerged a brief time later. This image was not shared any authoritative government accounts; 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 created or altered with Google AI.
Additional AI-generated visuals were disseminated in the following period, purporting to present additional perspectives of Maduro in custody. Discernible watermarks on the graphics reveal they originated from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
SynthID confirms the further images were likewise created or altered Google AI.
Real Photo Released but Fabrications Persisted
The former US president shared the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. However, despite this confirmation was released, synthetic images continued to spread but were modified to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Reverse image searches show the new fake images were initially shared on TikTok by a digital art account. Again, SynthID confirms these subsequent pictures were generated or edited AI tools.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media gained traction after the announcement of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake picture was shared within hours on platform X.
- Tools like AI-watermark detectors were used to confirm the pictures as AI-generated.
- Fabrications continued to circulate and evolve despite the publication of real images.
- The origin of many fabricated images was traced to specific online accounts focused on AI art.