Overview
- Independent fact-checks by AFP, Full Fact and The Quint verified the viral image as AI-generated and not evidence of staged injuries.
- Arsen Ostrovsky, who sustained a bullet-graze head wound and underwent surgery, condemned the hoax and urged platforms to remove hate content.
- Google’s SynthID flagged the picture as created with its AI tools, while visual artifacts such as a malformed ear, mangled hands and merged cars reinforced the finding.
- Detection gaps persisted as X’s Grok labeled the fake “consistent with a real photo” and at least one third-party site returned a false negative.
- The misinformation followed the Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting that left 15 dead and dozens injured, as survivors and officials called for accountability.