Exposing Venezuela Victory Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic images purporting to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his capture by the American authorities have amassed tens of millions of views online.
The Way AI Images of the President Appeared Within Hours
The first fabricated AI image seemingly displaying him led off a plane circulated a brief time later. This image was not shared any authoritative government accounts; rather, it was posted on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked Google’s SynthID, determining the picture was created or altered with AI tools.
More synthetic visuals began to spread in the ensuing period, purporting to present different views of Maduro detained. Discernible identifying marks on the graphics show they originated from an Instagram account called ultravfx.
SynthID says all of these pictures were also produced using AI technology.
Authentic Image Posted but Fabrications Persisted
The former US president posted the initial authentic image of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. However, despite the authentic image was released, synthetic pictures persisted online but were modified to incorporate the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.
Online investigation show these altered fabrications were initially shared on TikTok by a graphic design account. Once again, analysis confirms these subsequent pictures were generated or edited AI tools.
Main Takeaways:
- Synthetic media spread rapidly after the news of the president's apprehension.
- The initial fabricated picture appeared very quickly on platform X.
- Tools like Google’s SynthID were used to identify the pictures as synthetic.
- Fabrications persisted to spread and be updated despite the publication of real photographs.
- The origin of many fakes was linked to specific online accounts focused on graphic design.
