Unmasking Venezuelan Victory Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic images purporting to show Venezuela's president under arrest after his apprehension by the US have amassed tens of millions of views on social media.
How Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Within Hours
The first fabricated synthetic picture apparently showing him being escorted off a aircraft surfaced shortly after. This image was unpublished by any verified government accounts; it was instead published on X by an account purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
We’ve checked the SynthID tool, determining the image was produced or modified with generative AI.
More synthetic images began to spread in the ensuing hours, appearing to show more angles of Maduro under guard. Visible identifying marks on these pictures show they came from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.
AI analysis says these additional pictures were likewise generated or edited Google AI.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Continued
Donald Trump released the initial authentic image of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. Yet following the authentic image was released, AI-generated images continued to spread but were altered to include the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.
Reverse image searches reveal the new fake images were originally uploaded on TikTok by a digital art account. Once again, SynthID says the new graphics were generated or edited generative artificial intelligence.
Important Facts:
- Deepfakes spread rapidly after the events of Maduro's capture.
- The first fake image appeared on the same day on social media.
- Tools like AI-watermark detectors were used to verify the pictures as synthetic.
- Fake images continued to spread and evolve even after the release of authentic photographs.
- The origin of several fabricated images was traced to specific online profiles focused on AI art.
