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AI-generated images claiming to show Venezuela's president in custody following his capture by the American authorities have amassed tens of millions of views on social media.

The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Emerged Within Hours

The first fabricated AI image seemingly showing him taken off a plane circulated shortly after. This image was not shared any verified government accounts; it was instead published on the platform X by an profile purporting to be an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.

Verification involved an AI-watermark detector, confirming the image was generated or edited with generative AI.

Additional AI-generated pictures were disseminated in the subsequent hours, purporting to present different views of Maduro under guard. Visible identifying marks on the graphics reveal they originated from an Instagram profile named ultravfx.

AI analysis indicates all of these pictures were similarly created or altered generative models.

Authentic Image Posted but Fabrications Persisted

Donald Trump posted the initial authentic image of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on Saturday morning. However, despite this real photo was published, synthetic images continued to spread but were modified to show the gray sweatsuit seen on Maduro.

Online investigation indicate the new fake images were initially shared on the video platform by a digital art profile. Once again, the AI-watermark detector confirms these subsequent pictures were created or altered AI tools.

Important Facts:

• AI-generated content gained traction following the announcement of the president's apprehension.
• The initial fabricated picture appeared very quickly on social media.
• Detection software like Google’s SynthID were used to identify the pictures as inauthentic.
• Fake images persisted to spread and be updated despite the release of real images.
• The source of several fabricated images was traced to specific online profiles dedicated to AI art.