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AI Forensics Debunk Viral Photos Linking NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Jeffrey Epstein

Justice Department records reference only a 2009 afterparty attended by Mira Nair, with no photos or accusations involving her son.

Overview

  • Google's Gemini identified SynthID watermarks on the circulating images, and the Hive detector rated one picture more than 97% likely to be AI-generated.
  • The images originated from the parody X account DFF/@DumbFckFinder, which publishes AI-made content and acknowledged fabricating at least one photo.
  • The timeline is inconsistent because Mamdani was 18 in 2009, contradicting images that depict him as a baby or young child.
  • NewsGuard found seven related images drew over 21 million views on X, with posts from high-profile accounts such as Alex Jones helping drive their spread.
  • Researchers warn that spotting AI manipulation will become harder over time, placing greater emphasis on verifying provenance and source credibility.