Exposing Venezuelan Celebration Footage and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro.
Computer-created images claiming to portray Nicolás Maduro detained after his capture by the US have amassed tens of millions of views online.
The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Appeared Within Hours
The first fake AI image apparently showing him led off a plane surfaced within hours. The picture was absent from any official government accounts; it was instead uploaded on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.
Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, which found the picture was produced or modified with Google AI.
More synthetic pictures were disseminated in the following hours, appearing to show more angles of the leader under guard. Visible logos on these images show they were posted by an Instagram account called ultravfx.
The detection tool confirms these additional pictures were also generated or edited generative models.
Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Persisted
The former US president posted the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday morning. However, despite this real photo was made public, synthetic images kept circulating but were modified to show the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.
Digital forensics show the new fake images were first posted on TikTok by a graphic design account. Once again, analysis says these further images were generated or edited generative artificial intelligence.
Key Points:
- Synthetic media gained traction following the events of Maduro's capture.
- The initial fabricated picture was shared very quickly on social media.
- Tools like Google’s SynthID were used to identify the pictures as synthetic.
- Fabrications persisted to spread and be updated despite the release of real images.
- The origin of several fabricated images was traced to social media profiles focused on AI art.
