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Viral Trump Walker Photo Proven Fake by Google SynthID Watermark

The post followed the president’s order curbing state AI regulation.

Overview

  • Google’s Gemini detector identified a SynthID watermark on the image, confirming it was generated with Google AI.
  • The image was posted on X by Democratic strategist Keith Edwards and had roughly 6 million views early Friday.
  • Fact-checkers and AI tools, including ChatGPT and Gemini, flagged visual distortions and inconsistent details as hallmarks of a fabricated image.
  • Additional altered versions circulated on X, including a gold walker image and a video claiming to show the president using a walker.
  • The executive order at issue centralizes federal approval of AI, creates a task force to challenge state laws, and threatens to withhold broadband funding from states viewed as hindering AI development.