Debunking Venezuela Celebration Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic graphics purporting to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his capture by the US have gained countless of impressions across the internet.
How Fake Pictures of Maduro Appeared Rapidly
The first inauthentic synthetic picture seemingly displaying him taken off a plane surfaced a brief time later. The picture was unpublished by any official US channels; it was instead uploaded on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used Google’s SynthID, determining the image was created or altered with AI tools.
Further AI-generated visuals began to spread in the ensuing period, seemingly depicting more angles of Maduro detained. Visible watermarks on the graphics indicate they came from an Instagram account called ultravfx.
AI analysis confirms all of these images were also produced using AI technology.
Real Photo Released but Fabrications Persisted
The former US president posted the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday morning. However, despite this real photo was released, synthetic images kept circulating but were updated to incorporate the grey tracksuit seen on Maduro.
Reverse image searches reveal these altered fabrications were first posted on TikTok by a graphic design profile. Once again, SynthID says the new graphics were produced with generative artificial intelligence.
Main Takeaways:
- AI-generated content circulated quickly following the news of the president's apprehension.
- The initial fabricated image was shared on the same day on social media.
- Tools like AI-watermark detectors helped to identify the pictures as inauthentic.
- Fake images continued to circulate and evolve even after the release of real images.
- The origin of several fabricated images was linked to social media profiles dedicated to AI art.
