Debunking Venezuelan Victory Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.

Synthetic images claiming to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest after his capture by the American authorities have garnered countless of impressions on social media.

How Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Soon After

Initial fake AI image apparently displaying him taken off a plane emerged shortly after. The picture was absent from any official government accounts; rather, it was posted on X by an account purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”.

Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, which found the picture was created or altered with Google AI.

More AI-generated visuals started circulating in the subsequent hours, seemingly depicting additional perspectives of Maduro in custody. Discernible identifying marks on these pictures indicate they came from an Instagram account called ultravfx.

AI analysis says the further images were also produced using generative models.

Authentic Image Released but Fakes Continued

Donald Trump shared the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday morning. However, despite this confirmation was published, AI-generated pictures persisted online but were altered to include the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.

Reverse image searches indicate these updated fakes were originally uploaded on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Similarly, SynthID confirms these further images were created or altered Google AI.

Key Points:

• AI-generated content spread rapidly following the announcement of the president's apprehension.
• The first fake image appeared on the same day on social media.
• Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to verify the images as inauthentic.
• Fake images persisted to circulate and be updated even after the publication of authentic photographs.
• The origin of several fakes was traced to social media profiles dedicated to AI art.