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Being an internet user, you too might have stumbled across the image of an explosion outside the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The image shows tall and dark grey smoke coming out of the building in the Pentagon complex. While most social media users are falling prey to believing the image to be true, it is actually a fake, AI-generated image that has spread like wildfire on social media.
Many people with verified accounts have shared the image, making people even more sure of its credibility. The spread of the picture also resulted in a brief dip in the stock market on Monday, May 22, as the S&P 500 stumbled by 0.29 percent compared to its Friday close.
However, the fire department of Arlington, Virginia, confirmed that the image was fake and no explosion had occurred near the area. The authorities stated:
The picture went viral when @OSINTdefender, a verified Twitter account, shared it. However, the user later deleted the image and apologized for spreading it. Hence, the image where an explosion can be seen in Pentagon is not true and is likely generated by AI.
Image of the explosion at Pentagon is likely AI-Generated: How to detect fake images?
An image depicting an explosion outside the Pentagon circulated on Twitter pages, causing widespread attention on Google searches and Twitter. However, officials from the Department of Defense clarified that the image was false and categorized it as misinformation. The Arlington Fire and EMS Department also confirmed through a tweet that there was no explosion or immediate danger to the public.
The source of the image remains unknown, but its emergence coincides with the rising popularity of realistic AI-generated "deepfakes," including depictions of Pope Francis in a Balenciaga coat and digitally altered versions of famous artworks and viral images of a fake arrest involving former US President Donald Trump.
Hence, it becomes crucial to understand how to spot “deepfakes” and AI-Generated images. Firstly, such images do not have any first-hand witnesses and no related news material. For example, in the case of the recent image of the Pentagon, there were no news articles supporting the claim of the explosion in the area.
Furthermore, the image can be compared with the original image using tools like Google Street View. A brief comparison of the two images can give you a better idea of whether or not AI was used to create the fake image. Lastly, one should look for details like benches, streetlights, pavements, etc. Chances are, these minute details can make the image look fake at a glance if one has the eye for it.
Internet users also have access to various AI-detection tools that can spot whether or not the image has been produced through Artificial Intelligence. One should also check who has uploaded the image and if it has been uploaded and shared by a trusted source.
As for the recent Pentagon post, as much as the users are falling prey to the image and believing it to be true, others are spreading awareness about how it is fake, and one should just ban it or report it so that such hoax news is not spread.
