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AI-generated pictures purporting to depict Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the American authorities have gained countless of impressions across the internet.

How AI Images of the President Appeared Within Hours

The first fabricated AI image apparently displaying him led off a aircraft surfaced shortly after. The graphic was unpublished by any authoritative US channels; it was instead uploaded on X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.

Our analysis used Google’s SynthID, determining the picture was produced or modified with generative AI.

Further synthetic images started circulating in the subsequent period, purporting to present additional perspectives of the leader under guard. Noticeable logos on these images indicate they originated from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.

The detection tool confirms these additional pictures were similarly created or altered AI technology.

Real Photo Posted but Fakes Persisted

The former US president released the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro handcuffed aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. However, despite this confirmation was released, AI-generated images continued to spread but were altered to incorporate the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro.

Reverse image searches indicate these updated fakes were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art account. Once again, analysis confirms these further images were produced with AI tools.

Key Points:

• Synthetic media circulated quickly after the news of the president's apprehension.
• The first fake picture was shared on the same day on social media.
• Tools like AI-watermark detectors helped to verify the images as inauthentic.
• Fabrications continued to spread and be updated despite the publication of real photographs.
• The origin of several fabricated images was linked to social media profiles dedicated to AI art.