Exposing Venezuelan Celebration Footage and AI Images of Maduro.
Computer-created graphics claiming to show Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the American authorities have gained countless of impressions online.
The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Soon After
The first fabricated synthetic picture seemingly displaying him led off a aircraft emerged a brief time later. This image was absent from any official US channels; rather, it was published on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, determining the picture was created or altered with AI tools.
Further synthetic pictures began to spread in the subsequent hours, seemingly depicting additional perspectives of Maduro in custody. Noticeable identifying marks on these images reveal they came from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
AI analysis indicates all of these images were likewise produced using generative models.
Authentic Image Released but Fakes Continued
The former US president released the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. However, despite this confirmation was released, AI-generated pictures kept circulating but were updated to incorporate the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Online investigation show these updated fakes were first posted on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Again, SynthID says the new graphics were generated or edited Google AI.
Main Takeaways:
- Deepfakes circulated quickly after the events of Maduro's capture.
- The initial fabricated image was shared on the same day on social media.
- Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
- Fake images continued to spread and evolve even after the publication of real images.
- The source of several fabricated images was linked to social media accounts dedicated to graphic design.
