Unmasking Venezuela Victory Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
AI-generated graphics claiming to depict Nicolás Maduro detained after his capture by the American authorities have gained countless of impressions online.
How AI Images of Maduro Appeared Rapidly
The first inauthentic AI image seemingly showing him taken off a plane circulated a brief time later. The graphic was absent from any authoritative government accounts; it was instead uploaded on the platform X by an account describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
We’ve checked an AI-watermark detector, which found the picture was produced or modified with Google AI.
Further AI-generated pictures were disseminated in the subsequent hours, purporting to present more angles of the leader detained. Visible watermarks on these images show they came from an Instagram account called ultravfx.
The detection tool indicates all of these pictures were similarly generated or edited generative models.
Real Photo Posted but Fakes Continued
Donald Trump released the initial authentic image of Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. Yet following this real photo was released, synthetic pictures kept circulating but were modified to include the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.
Online investigation reveal these altered fabrications were originally uploaded on TikTok by a graphic design account. Once again, the AI-watermark detector confirms the new graphics were generated or edited generative artificial intelligence.
Important Facts:
- AI-generated content circulated quickly after the news of the president's apprehension.
- The first fake image was shared within hours on social media.
- Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to identify the images as AI-generated.
- Fake images persisted to spread and evolve even after the publication of authentic images.
- The origin of several fabricated images was traced to specific online accounts focused on graphic design.
