AI images of Maduro capture reap millions of views on social media

Lack of verified information and advanced AI tools make it difficult to separate fact from fiction on US attack

Minutes after Donald Trump announced a large-scale strike" against Venezuela early on Saturday morning, false and misleading AI-generated images began flooding social media. There were fake photos of Nicolas Maduro being escorted off a plane by US law enforcement agents, images of jubilant Venezuelans pouring into the streets of Caracas and videos of missiles raining down on the city - all fake.

The fabricated content intermixed with real videos and photos of US aircraft flying over the Venezuelan capital and explosions lighting up the dark sky. A lack of verified information about the raid coupled with AI tools' rapidly advancing capabilities made discerning fact from fiction about the incursion on Caracas difficult.