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AI-generated pictures claiming to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest after his apprehension by the US have garnered tens of millions of views online.

How Fake Pictures of the President Appeared Within Hours

Initial fake synthetic picture apparently displaying him led off a plane emerged a brief time later. The picture was absent from any verified US channels; it was instead published on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.

Our analysis used the SynthID tool, which found the picture was generated or edited with generative AI.

Additional AI-generated pictures were disseminated in the ensuing period, purporting to present additional perspectives of Maduro detained. Visible logos on these pictures indicate they originated from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.

The detection tool confirms the further pictures were also created or altered generative models.

Authentic Image Posted but Fabrications Continued

Donald Trump released the genuine photograph of Maduro handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. But even after this real photo was released, AI-generated images persisted online but were updated to show the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.

Digital forensics reveal the new fake images were initially shared on the video platform by a graphic design account. Once again, the AI-watermark detector says the new graphics were produced with Google AI.

Important Facts:

• Deepfakes circulated quickly after the events of the president's apprehension.
• The initial fabricated image was shared within hours on social media.
• Tools like Google’s SynthID were used to verify the images as AI-generated.
• Fake images persisted to spread and be updated despite the release of authentic images.
• The origin of several fabricated images was linked to social media accounts dedicated to graphic design.