AI-generated video depicts alleged transformation of Gaza following Israeli assaults
Revised Article:
Swindled Footage: A Deceptive Gaze at Gaza
A viral video on social media showcases split-screen bird's-eye views of a city, purportedly depicting Gaza before and after Israeli attacks. Spoiler alert: It's all smoke and mirrors.
"Witness the genocide unfolding today in Gaza! #FreePalestine (sic)" - a rallying cry echoed across the digital landscape by over 6,000 social media users since June 6. The post includes a 10-second clip featuring a dual-screen showcase of destruction and decay on one side, bland normality on the other. A superimposed text insinuates the images depict Palestine before and after a conflict. Another post echoing the same cries for attention, shared over 29,000 times since June 7, circuits the same video with an added emphasis on "genocide."
Fabricated Frames:These visuals fail to reflect the grim reality of Gaza. Far from the truth, they are the brainchild of AI technology. We examined the recording using two top-tier AI-generated content detection tools - Wasit.AI and Decopy.AI. Both platforms concur that the images are AI-driven. Decopy.AI, in particular, predicts their artificial origin with unwavering certainty.
BBC expert fact-checker Shayan Sardarizadeh debunked the myth in a post that garnered attention on his social media platform. Sardarizadeh confirmed the unreality of the portrayal of Gaza before and after a war, asserting that the sequences are AI-generated. This finding aligns with that of Arab fact-checker Misbar, which determines the "pre-war Gaza" shot is an untruthful representation of al-Rasheed Street in Gaza[1]. The Saudi newspaper AlHadath News, on its social media platforms, flatly declares the clip an "AI-generated video."
Aerial Annihilation: The Reality of Gaza
Despite the viral video's fabricated narrative, genuine documentation of Gaza's post-conflict devastation has been captured by news agencies. For instance, an Associated Press agency video showcases drone imagery of northern Gaza[2], revealing extensive areas of demolished buildings and piles of rubble, with people navigating the destruction. Similarly, Reuters published a video on its YouTube channel, capturing footage from various parts of Gaza over more than a year, before and after Israeli attacks.
[1] - Misbar[2] - AP News[3] - TikTok's viral before-and-after footage of Gaza does not offer evidence of AI-generation
The average social media user might mistakenly believe that the viral before-and-after footage of Gaza is a genuine depiction of the city before and after Israeli attacks. However, the technology used to create these deceptive images is actually artificial intelligence.
