Unmasking Venezuela Victory Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.
Computer-created graphics claiming to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his capture by the American authorities have gained tens of millions of views online.
How AI Images of the President Emerged Rapidly
Initial fake synthetic picture apparently showing him taken off a aircraft circulated shortly after. This image was absent from any verified American sources; it was instead published on X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked the SynthID tool, which found the image was created or altered with generative AI.
Additional synthetic visuals started circulating in the subsequent hours, appearing to show different views of the leader under guard. Visible watermarks on these images indicate they originated from an Instagram account called ultravfx.
The detection tool says all of these images were likewise produced using Google AI.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Continued
The former US president released the genuine photograph of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. However, despite the authentic image was published, synthetic pictures persisted online but were altered to show the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.
Digital forensics show these updated fakes were originally uploaded on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Again, analysis found the new graphics were generated or edited Google AI.
Key Points:
- Deepfakes spread rapidly after the news of Maduro's capture.
- The initial fabricated picture appeared within hours on platform X.
- Detection software like AI-watermark detectors were used to identify the pictures as AI-generated.
- Fake images persisted to circulate and evolve even after the release of authentic photographs.
- The source of several fabricated images was linked to specific online profiles dedicated to graphic design.
