Viral AI-generated Pentagon explosion image rattles Twitter
Boom, but not really! On Monday, an AI-created image of an explosion near the Pentagon went viral, causing quite a stir.
- The source remains a mystery, but the U.S. Department of Defense debunked the photo as "misinformation."
Zoom In: Twitter was the stage for this drama, with the image shared by an impersonated Bloomberg news feed and a Russian state media account.
- The fake explosion not only took over some Twitter feeds but also became a hot search topic on Google.
- The ripple effect even reached Wall Street, causing the U.S. stock market to dip briefly.
- The Arlington, Virginia, Police Department was quick to call "fake news!" on the supposed disaster, reassuring everyone that there was no explosion or immediate threat.
Detecting Fake News: But how can one tell if it's AI-generated? According to experts, there are tell-tale signs, like the blending of the fence with the sidewalk in the image.
RT, with over 3 million followers, has posted (since deleted) what looks to be an AI generated photo of an explosion near the Pentagon pic.twitter.com/6Bl7X8ZA2M
— Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6) May 22, 2023