Does a viral video purporting to show the ruins of an Amazon data center in the Middle East document a real scene? No, that's not true: The video contained multiple signs pointing to AI, including an incorrectly spelled company's name and a person who appears headless and then grows a head in less than a second. According to Google, the video was created with Google AI.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here and here) on TikTok, where it was published on March 9, 2026. The caption began:
Amazon data center bombad first foray into technology #middleeastcrisis #breakingnews #usa🇺🇸 #fyp
Amazon Data Center Expansion Amid Middle East Crisis
The recent initiative by Amazon to expand their data center operations marks a significant entry into the region's technology landscape, particularly amid ongoing turmoil. This decision is pivotal, considering the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Amazon's foray illustrates the tech giant's commitment to fostering innovation and infrastructure in a region that presents unique challenges and opportunities.Amazon's latest move comes at a time when many companies are reassessing their strategies in response to international tensions. The establishment of data centers in the Middle East is not only a bold step for Amazon but could also lead to substantial advancements in cloud services, digital solutions, and overall technological growth in the area.
As the tech industry continues to evolve, how companies like Amazon respond to crises will shape the future of their operations. The infusion of technology in areas affected by conflict can potentially provide much-needed stability and growth. Furthermore, it may lead to job creation and technological advancements, fostering a brighter future for the region...
This is what the video looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Image source: screenshot of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
The AI disclaimer (archived here) on the bottom of the page was the first clue that the footage was not authentic:
(Image source: screenshot of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
A manual examination of the video revealed numerous artifacts strongly suggesting that AI generated it. The most apparent sign was the company's name misspelled twice in one frame:
(Image source: screenshots of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
Fire hoses seamlessly blended in with the asphalt:
(Image source: screenshot of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
One fire truck inexplicably had steering cabins on both ends:
(Image source: screenshot of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
The video also shows a headless person whose head reappears in a split second:
(Image source: screenshot of post by @eva319374 on TikTok.)
Lead Stories ran the video through Hive Moderation's AI-generated content detection tool. It concluded that the clip was 99.9% likely to have been created by generative AI:
(Image source: Hive Moderation.)
The two most recent 2025 models available in DeepFake-o-meter, another AI detection tool, put the probability of the clip being AI-generated at between 52.4% and 100%:
(Image source: DeepFake-o-meter.)
Lead Stories additionally ran screenshots from the video through one more AI detector, AI or Not. It rated many frames as 99% to 100% being generated by AI (click to view larger):
(Image source: Lead Stories montage of AI or Not results.)
A search across Google News (archived here) showed credible news reports (archived here) about Amazon data centers in the Middle East being hit by Iranian missiles in the first week of the conflict that began on Feb. 28, 2026. However, the clip reviewed in this fact check had nothing to do with it. A reverse image search of a thumbnail from the video showed that it was not part of authentic visual materials documenting the war. According to Google's Google's "About this image"tab (archived here), the clip was produced by Google AI:
(Image source: Google.)
