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Synthetic pictures claiming to portray Nicolás Maduro in custody after his apprehension by the American authorities have amassed tens of millions of views online.

How AI Images of Maduro Emerged Rapidly

Initial fabricated AI image apparently showing him taken off a plane surfaced within hours. This image was absent from any verified government accounts; it was instead published on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”.

Verification involved the SynthID tool, confirming the image was produced or modified with AI tools.

Further AI-generated images began to spread in the subsequent period, purporting to present additional perspectives of Maduro under guard. Visible logos on these pictures indicate they originated from an Instagram account called ultravfx.

The detection tool confirms all of these pictures were likewise produced using AI technology.

Real Photo Released but Fakes Persisted

The former US president shared the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. Yet following the authentic image was made public, AI-generated images continued to spread but were modified to incorporate the grey tracksuit worn by Maduro.

Digital forensics indicate the new fake images were first posted on TikTok by a digital art account. Similarly, SynthID found these subsequent pictures were produced with Google AI.

Key Points:

• Deepfakes spread rapidly after the news of the president's apprehension.
• The first fake image appeared within hours on social media.
• Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the images as AI-generated.
• Fake images continued to circulate and be updated even after the release of real images.
• The source of several fabricated images was traced to specific online accounts focused on graphic design.