Exposing Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Maduro.

AI-generated pictures claiming to depict Venezuela's president under arrest following his apprehension by the US have gained many millions of views on social media.

How AI Images of the President Appeared Soon After

Initial fake AI image apparently displaying him being escorted off a plane surfaced within hours. The graphic was not shared any authoritative government accounts; it was instead posted on X by an profile purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”.

Verification involved the SynthID tool, determining the image was created or altered with Google AI.

More synthetic images began to spread in the subsequent hours, appearing to show more angles of the leader detained. Noticeable identifying marks on these images indicate they originated from an Instagram profile called ultravfx.

SynthID indicates all of these pictures were also created or altered Google AI.

Authentic Image Released but Fakes Continued

The former US president released the initial authentic image of Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. But even after this real photo was published, synthetic images kept circulating but were altered to include the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro.

Online investigation reveal these altered fabrications were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art profile. Similarly, SynthID confirms these subsequent pictures were created or altered generative artificial intelligence.

Important Facts:

• Deepfakes gained traction after the announcement of the president's apprehension.
• The first fake picture appeared within hours on platform X.
• Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to verify the images as inauthentic.
• Fake images continued to circulate and evolve despite the publication of authentic photographs.
• The origin of several fabricated images was traced to specific online profiles dedicated to AI art.