🔗 Share this article Debunking Venezuela Victory Videos and AI-Generated Pictures of Nicolás Maduro. AI-generated images purporting to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest after his capture by the American authorities have amassed many millions of impressions online. The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Within Hours The first fabricated synthetic picture seemingly displaying him taken off a plane circulated within hours. The picture was absent from any authoritative government accounts; it was instead published on the platform X by an profile describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”. Verification involved an AI-watermark detector, which found the picture was created or altered with AI tools. Further AI-generated visuals began to spread in the ensuing hours, appearing to show more angles of Maduro in custody. Visible watermarks on the graphics indicate they were posted by an Instagram profile named ultravfx. The detection tool indicates all of these images were similarly generated or edited generative models. Real Photo Posted but Fakes Continued Donald Trump shared the first real photo of Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on that morning. However, despite this confirmation was published, AI-generated images continued to spread but were modified to incorporate the grey athletic wear seen on Maduro. Reverse image searches indicate these updated fakes were originally uploaded on the video platform by a graphic design profile. Similarly, SynthID says the new graphics were created or altered Google AI. Key Points: Deepfakes gained traction after the news of Maduro's capture. The first fake image appeared very quickly on platform X. Detection software like AI-watermark detectors were used to confirm the images as inauthentic. Fabrications continued to spread and be updated even after the publication of authentic images. The source of several fakes was traced to specific online accounts focused on graphic design.