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Computer-created pictures purporting to depict Venezuela's president detained after his capture by the US have garnered countless of impressions across the internet.

How AI Images of Maduro Emerged Within Hours

Initial inauthentic AI image seemingly displaying him being escorted off a aircraft emerged a brief time later. This image was not shared any authoritative government accounts; it was instead posted on the platform X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.

We’ve checked the SynthID tool, determining the picture was generated or edited with Google AI.

Additional synthetic visuals started circulating in the following period, seemingly depicting additional perspectives of Maduro under guard. Noticeable watermarks on these pictures show they were posted by an Instagram account named ultravfx.

SynthID indicates the further images were also produced using AI technology.

Real Photo Posted but Fakes Continued

Donald Trump posted the genuine photograph of Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. However, despite this real photo was made public, AI-generated pictures kept circulating but were updated to show the gray sweatsuit seen on Maduro.

Reverse image searches indicate these updated fakes were initially shared on TikTok by a digital art profile. Once again, the AI-watermark detector says these further images were created or altered generative artificial intelligence.

Main Takeaways:

• Synthetic media gained traction after the news of Maduro's capture.
• The initial fabricated picture was shared on the same day on platform X.
• Tools like AI-watermark detectors helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
• Fake images persisted to spread and evolve even after the release of authentic photographs.
• The origin of several fabricated images was traced to specific online accounts dedicated to AI art.