Exposing Venezuelan Victory Videos and AI Images of Maduro.
Computer-created images claiming to show Nicolás Maduro detained following his apprehension by the United States have gained countless of views on social media.
How AI Images of the President Surfaced Rapidly
The first fake AI image seemingly showing him being escorted off a plane emerged within hours. The graphic was not shared any authoritative US channels; it was instead published on X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.
Our analysis used the SynthID tool, which found the image was generated or edited with generative AI.
More synthetic pictures were disseminated in the ensuing hours, appearing to show different views of the leader in custody. Discernible logos on the graphics show they were posted by an Instagram account named ultravfx.
SynthID indicates all of these pictures were similarly produced using generative models.
Authentic Image Released but Fabrications Continued
Donald Trump posted the first real photo of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. But even after this confirmation was released, synthetic pictures persisted online but were updated to include the gray sweatsuit seen on Maduro.
Digital forensics show the new fake images were first posted on TikTok by a digital art account. Similarly, the AI-watermark detector confirms these subsequent pictures were produced with Google AI.
Important Facts:
- Synthetic media gained traction after the announcement of Maduro's capture.
- The initial fabricated image was shared very quickly on social media.
- Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the pictures as synthetic.
- Fake images continued to spread and evolve even after the release of real images.
- The origin of many fakes was linked to social media profiles dedicated to AI art.
