Overview
- On Jan. 30, Sen. Dick Durbin displayed the manipulated picture during a floor speech; his office later said staff did not realize it was edited and expressed regret.
- Independent analysts, including UC Berkeley’s Hany Farid, identified AI artifacts such as a headless agent, missing hands and a leg merged with a gun.
- MS NOW’s Jan. 26 Deadline: White House segment used the AI-enhanced image on air, its website and YouTube; the YouTube thumbnail was later replaced with an editor’s note.
- A Versant Media Group spokesperson said the network sourced the image online and did not perform the enhancement itself.
- Fact-checkers and media literacy experts report AI-altered content about the Minneapolis shootings is spreading quickly, fueling false claims like Pretti holding a weapon despite verified footage showing a phone.