Deepfakes

Did Whoopi Goldberg flee the country after an $800 million lawsuit from Karoline Leavitt had a "speed up"? No, that's not true: A viral video making that claim was largely AI generated. No actual news outlet has reported on such a lawsuit, which would have been huge news if it really existed. The story appeared in a viral video (archived…

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…

Does an image authentically show a person with blue hair writing "fascist" on a Tesla Cybertruck? No, that's not true: The picture of the half-naked person is AI generated. It originated in a post from an account on X that says it publishes "trustworthy fake news & memes". The image originally appeared in a post on X (archived here) published…

Is "leaked" audio of Vice-President J.D. Vance in which he complains about Elon Musk authentic? No, that's not true: Several AI detection tools and Vance's Communications director both say the audio is fake. The TikTok video where the audio seems to have originated from misspelled Vance's name as "Vence". The oldest copy of the viral audio appears to be this…

Does this photo show a real person described as a "liberal" in some social media posts vandalizing a Cybertruck? No, that's not true: The picture of the half-naked person dressed in weird rainbow colored clothes is ai generated. It originated from an account on X that says it publishes "trustworthy fake news & memes". The image appeared in a post…

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…

Did Damon Imani appear on the February 24, 2025 episode of "The View" to verbally spar with co-host Sunny Hostin over the term "Woke", as a social media post seems to show? No, that's not true: Imani has never appeared on ABC's morning show. He is a producer, artist and commentator who creates and publishes digitally altered videos placing himself…

Did President Donald Trump speak to Fox News about a "Tesla medbed," calling it an "incredible piece of technology"? No, that's not true: Medbeds -- a term for a device that can carry out miraculous healing and age reversal and defy mortality -- do not exist. Footage which appeared to show Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany interviewing Trump on the…

Does a viral video genuinely show a Tesla Cybertruck being crushed by a digger or excavator? No, that's not true: According to a detection tool, the video was generated using AI. The account that originally posted it has published several similar videos of cars being crushed or destroyed and offers links to a course about AI video creation and a…

Does a viral image authentically show European leaders taking off their suit coats in support of Ukraine during a group picture? No, that's not true: The image is likely a screenshot from a video that was digitally edited, possibly using AI. Actual footage of the moment the group picture was taken did not show anyone taking off their suit and…

Does a video authentically show climbers hoisting a Ukrainian flag on the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York? No, that's not true: The video was created using AI, according to the caption added by the account that originally posted it. The torch held by the statue in the video looks markedly different from the one held by…

Is an image of what looks like the corpse of a dead Pope Francis seemingly laid out on two pillows, showing various blurry priests in the background, genuine? No, that's not true: The photo was generated using AI, according to an online detection tool. The image included showed a Grok AI watermark, indicating it was created using the AI generative…

Did a video authentically show Rogan O'Handley, Chaya Raichik, Scott Presler, Liz Wheeler, Chad Prather and other people holding "Epstein Files" binders and dancing while exiting the White House? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool found the video "suspicious" and contained several oddities pointing to an AI origin. The video appears to be based on an actual photo…

Did President Donald Trump's eldest son Don Jr. say on his podcast that "the U.S. should have been sending weapons to Russia" instead of Ukraine, as an X post claims? No, that's not true: The episode in question did not contain such a statement. Two AI detectors indicated that the audio in the viral clip was likely a product of…

Did Damon Imani appear on "The View" and was he verbally sparring with the hosts? No, that's not true: Imani is a producer, artist and commentator who often publishes digitally edited videos placing himself in various existing videos. They are labeled as satire on his own social media channels but sometimes his videos get shared or stolen without that context.…

Was an AI video featuring a "Gaza 2025" caption published on Donald Trump's official social media accounts? Yes, that's true: The video showed buildings, shops and other items bearing "Trump Gaza" signs, bearded belly dancers, and figures appearing to be Elon Musk eating and being showered with banknotes, and with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

Does a video actually show Karoline Leavitt and Whoopi Goldberg together on "The View," with Goldberg walking off the set? No, that's not true: A now-deleted TikTok video with a caption misspelling Leavitt's first name as "Caroline" was generated using AI. In reality, Leavitt hasn't appeared on "The View" since becoming White House press secretary (or before that). A copy…

Is a video in which pop star Taylor Swift announces a breakup with athlete Travis Kelce and where she says she's looking to date a basketball player real? No, that's not true: The video in which Swift appears to say, "I don't date losers, I only date winners" originated on a YouTube channel specializing in AI deepfakes. An online detection…

Was the TV show "The View" officially cancelled after decades on air, as a viral article claimed? No, that's not true: The story appears to have been written using AI and was published on an anonymously registered website that lists no owners or publishers. There have been no official announcements on ABC's website regarding a cancellation of The View. The…

Does a viral photo really show gymnast Simone Biles pregnant with a clearly visible baby bump posing next to her husband Jonathan Owens who is wearing a suit and bow tie? No, that's not true: A detection tool indicated the image of the Olympic gold medalist was generated using AI. Biles posted pictures to her Instagram account only days ago…