An image that has been widely shared on social media, depicting a man carrying children through rubble, is being linked to the bombing of Gaza in the midst of a war triggered by a deadly Hamas attack on Israel. However, experts have identified signs of artificial intelligence manipulation in the image and have confirmed that it was not published by any news organizations with photographers on the ground in the region.
The image, accompanied by the text “Today’s best photo 27-October-2023,” was shared 82,000 times on Facebook. It first appeared on social media as early as October 21 in an Instagram post using hashtags such as “Gaza_under_attack” and “Free Palestine.” The Chinese embassy in France also amplified the image through their official X (formerly Twitter) account.
A post by X on October 27 stated, “This image will symbolize the West for decades to come. They will not forgive and will not forget and those children (if they survive) will grow up angry, very angry.”
The Hamas attack, which Israeli authorities claim is the deadliest in their history, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. In response, an all-out war has erupted, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting that more than 8,700 people in Gaza, including thousands of children, have been killed.
The image has sparked international anger and led to large-scale protests in support of a ceasefire. However, experts have determined that the image has been digitally manipulated and is likely generated by artificial intelligence.
Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley who specializes in digital forensics, misinformation, and image analysis, stated on October 30, “This image is almost certainly AI-generated. In addition to our models classifying it as AI, there are telltale signs in the image like the misshapen arm of the adult.”
Siwei Lyu, the director of the Media Forensic Lab at the University of Buffalo, also confirmed that the image is AI-generated. He pointed out irregularities in the hands and feet of the people depicted in the image.
Researchers, including Kimberly Ton Mai from the University College of London and Renee DiResta from the Stanford Internet Observatory, agreed with the assessment, noting inconsistencies in the limbs and clothing of the figures, as well as the blending of figures with the environment.
Despite conducting a reverse image search on various search engines, AFP could not find any results matching the image from reputable media outlets covering the conflict.
It is important to note that AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.
