Unmasking Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.
Synthetic images claiming to portray Nicolás Maduro detained after his capture by the American authorities have gained many millions of views across the internet.
How Fake Pictures of Maduro Appeared Rapidly
The first fabricated AI image apparently showing him taken off a plane surfaced a brief time later. This image was not shared any verified government accounts; rather, it was published on X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
We’ve checked Google’s SynthID, which found the image was produced or modified with generative AI.
Additional AI-generated images were disseminated in the following period, seemingly depicting more angles of Maduro detained. Noticeable logos on these pictures show they came from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
AI analysis says these additional images were similarly produced using AI technology.
Real Photo Released but Fakes Persisted
Donald Trump posted the genuine photograph of Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. Yet following this confirmation was published, synthetic images kept circulating but were modified to include the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.
Digital forensics indicate these altered fabrications were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art account. Similarly, the AI-watermark detector found these subsequent pictures were created or altered Google AI.
Main Takeaways:
- Deepfakes gained traction following the announcement of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake image was shared within hours on platform X.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to verify the pictures as synthetic.
- Fake images persisted to spread and evolve despite the publication of authentic images.
- The source of several fakes was traced to social media profiles focused on AI art.
