🔗 Share this article Unmasking Venezuelan Celebration Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro. AI-generated images purporting to show Venezuela's president under arrest following his capture by the US have amassed tens of millions of impressions on social media. The Way AI Images of the President Appeared Within Hours Initial inauthentic AI image apparently showing him being escorted off a aircraft emerged shortly after. This image was unpublished by any verified US channels; it was instead uploaded on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”. Our analysis used the SynthID tool, determining the image was created or altered with AI tools. More synthetic visuals were disseminated in the following period, appearing to show additional perspectives of the leader detained. Noticeable watermarks on these images show they were posted by an Instagram profile named ultravfx. The detection tool confirms all of these pictures were also produced using AI technology. Authentic Image Posted but Fakes Continued The former US president released the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. However, despite this confirmation was published, synthetic pictures kept circulating but were updated to show the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro. Digital forensics show these altered fabrications were initially shared on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Similarly, analysis found these subsequent pictures were created or altered AI tools. Key Points: Deepfakes gained traction following the news of Maduro's capture. The initial fabricated picture was shared very quickly on platform X. Tools like Google’s SynthID were used to identify the pictures as synthetic. Fake images continued to spread and be updated even after the publication of real photographs. The origin of several fabricated images was traced to social media accounts focused on graphic design.