Artificial Intelligence

Does a viral video authentically show several cruise ships dumping raw sewage into the sea using huge pipes? No, that's not true: According to several AI detection tools the video was generated using artificial intelligence. It also contains several tell-tale signs of AI generation such as elements that blend into each other and bizarre features on the pipelines themselves. An…

Was there a WhatsApp leak in France that revealed the imminent arrest on May 6, 2025 of right-wing politicians Marine Le Pen, Marion Maréchal, Sarah Knafo and Florian Philippot as reported in a video from the "FP+" channel ? No, that's not true: That channel is part of the website of French magazine Front Populaire, which did not publish any…

Did American President Donald Trump post a picture of himself in which he appeared to be dressed as Pope while holding up his right index finger? Yes, that's true: He posted the image to his Instagram account. According to at least one AI detector the image was generated using Artificial Intelligence. The image appeared on Trump's Instagram here (archived here)…

Is a mugshot showing Judge Hannah Dugan in a grey polo shirt in front of a height chart real? No, that's not true: The image of the Milwaukee Judge who was arrested by the FBI for allegedly obstructing ICE agents appears to have been generated using generative artificial intelligence image makers. Two AI detection services rated the image more than…

Does a viral clip authentically document a scene showing a Black FBI agent being stopped by a police officer while driving a car? No, that's not true: The footage originated from a site that publishes reenactments, according to its own disclaimer. That page, weeks old as of April 10, 2025, is not a government website. The claim appeared in a…

Did the South African Broadcasting Corporation air a news segment saying Ukrainian President Zelenskyy bought a 51% stake in mining company Northam Platinum? No, that's not true: No such video appears on the website or social media accounts of SABC News. The audio in the segment was generated using Artificial Intelligence according to online detection tools and Northam confirmed to…

Is "leaked" audio of Elon Musk telling President Donald Trump that "Tesla is going down" authentic? No, that's not true: Five tests included in the University at Buffalo Media Forensic Lab's Deepfake-O-Meter rated probability that the audio file is AI-generated at between 97.8 to 100 percent. The posts promoting the audio as real do not include any supporting evidence. The…

Did Elon Musk save the life of 7-year-old Lily Thompson by paying her medical bills and arranging for a Neuralink chip to be implanted into her brain in March 2025? No, that's not true: There are no "local news reports" of a child by that name "battling a rare neurological disorder," as claimed in a blog post. The post said…

Did hundreds of bears block vehicle traffic into Yellowstone Park in March of 2025 by sitting, standing and lying down on the entry road, as was claimed on social media? No, that's not true: As of this writing, most Yellowstone Park roads were still closed for winter. The regional press that cover the park have not written about what would…

Does a viral video showing wedding scenes where various little girls are being married to older men authentically show Muslim child marriages, as social media posts are claiming? No, that's not true: The viral footage originated on an Instagram account that posts AI generated videos. Several detection tools found evidence the video was generated using artificial intelligence. The video has…