AI images of Maduro's apprehension spreading rapidly

Just hours after former Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by US special forces on Saturday night, social networks were already flooded with fake photos and videos of the operation. Users spread photos of Maduro, allegedly created with AI image generators, on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. These fake images were sometimes clicked or shared millions of times.

One of the AI-generated images shows the former president of Venezuela being escorted by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials in front of an airplane. Another supposed photo shows Maduro in a plane surrounded by US military personnel. Both images have since been exposed as AI-generated. This was reported by BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh on his Bluesky account.

In the early morning hours of last Saturday, the US invaded Venezuela and apprehended the autocratic leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a special operation, bringing them to New York. Part of the action, which violated international law, included attacks on various targets in and around Caracas. According to authorities, dozens of people were killed, reports The New York Times. The invasion of Venezuela culminated months of ongoing tensions between the two countries. The US judiciary accuses Maduro of, among other things, "conspiracy to commit drug terrorism," according to tagesschau.de.

Videos also among the misinformation

In addition to AI photos, several videos of the US attack on Venezuela, likely manipulated with AI applications, appeared on social networks. Video material considered genuine was distorted using AI. For example, a video sequence showing several presumably US helicopters over the night sky of Caracas was augmented with explosions of supposed airstrikes using Grok, the AI of the short message service X, Sardarizadeh writes on Bluesky.

The detection of AI-generated videos or images is an increasing problem. Professional fact-checkers often have to resort to AI-based resources, such as Google's AI detector SynthID. SynthID is a tool for embedding and detecting watermarks in AI-generated content.

Real footage, false context

In addition to AI-generated photos and videos, numerous genuine but misleading videos related to Maduro's apprehension went viral on social media. The video recordings purported to show the US attack on Venezuela, the landing of US troops in Caracas, or cheering Venezuelans. In reality, however, the videos documented other incidents, such as an Iranian attack on Israel in June of last year, a US troop exercise in Miami, or crowds during an anti-Maduro protest in July 2024.

(rah)