Debunking Venezuela Victory Videos and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro.

AI-generated images claiming to depict Venezuela's president in custody following his apprehension by the American authorities have gained tens of millions of views online.

How Fake Pictures of Maduro Emerged Within Hours

Initial fake AI image apparently showing him taken off a aircraft emerged shortly after. The graphic was unpublished by any official US channels; it was instead published on X by an profile describing itself as an “AI video art enthusiast”.

Our analysis used the SynthID tool, which found the picture was produced or modified with Google AI.

More synthetic visuals started circulating in the subsequent hours, purporting to present more angles of the leader in custody. Visible watermarks on these images indicate they came from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.

AI analysis says all of these pictures were also generated or edited generative models.

Real Photo Released but Fakes Persisted

The former US president released the genuine photograph of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. However, despite this confirmation was published, AI-generated images continued to spread but were modified to show the gray sweatsuit worn by Maduro.

Reverse image searches show the new fake images were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art profile. Similarly, SynthID says the new graphics were created or altered generative artificial intelligence.

Key Points:

• AI-generated content gained traction after the events of the president's apprehension.
• The initial fabricated picture was shared within hours on social media.
• Detection software like AI-watermark detectors were used to confirm the images as inauthentic.
• Fake images persisted to spread and evolve despite the publication of real photographs.
• The source of many fakes was traced to social media accounts focused on graphic design.