Exposing Venezuela Celebration Videos and AI Images of Maduro.
Synthetic graphics purporting to show Nicolás Maduro in custody following his capture by the American authorities have amassed tens of millions of views across the internet.
The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Soon After
The first inauthentic synthetic picture apparently showing him taken off a aircraft circulated a brief time later. The graphic was absent from any authoritative government accounts; rather, it was published on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, confirming the picture was created or altered with Google AI.
Further synthetic images started circulating in the following hours, purporting to present different views of Maduro in custody. Visible logos on the graphics reveal they originated from an Instagram account named ultravfx.
SynthID indicates all of these pictures were likewise created or altered Google AI.
Real Photo Posted but Fabrications Continued
Donald Trump released the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday morning. But even after the authentic image was published, AI-generated pictures persisted online but were modified to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.
Reverse image searches show these altered fabrications were initially shared on TikTok by a graphic design account. Once again, analysis found these subsequent pictures were produced with generative artificial intelligence.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media circulated quickly following the events of the president's apprehension.
- The initial fabricated image appeared very quickly on platform X.
- Tools like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
- Fabrications continued to spread and be updated despite the release of authentic photographs.
- The source of many fabricated images was linked to specific online accounts focused on AI art.
