AI-generated fake image of explosion at Pentagon goes viral, causes dip US stock market

On May 22, the now-suspended verified twitter account “ Bloomberg Feed” published a photograph claiming there had been a "large explosion" close to the Pentagon, which houses the US Department of Defense's headquarters. An AI-generated image depicting an explosion at the Pentagon, a significant US military facility, went viral on social media. Due to this alarming news, the US stock markets were also affected, with the S&P 500 plummeting by 30 points minutes after the news. The fake image of the explosion was published as true by numerous news channels, causing chaos.

So @republic aired a 'Live & Breaking' news of Pentagon explosion image. They even invited Prof. Madhav Nalapat "strategic expert" to discuss about the explosion.
BWT, It was an AI generated image. pic.twitter.com/8j1nfSJR6x

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 22, 2023

The fakeness of the photos was confirmed by the Arlington Police Department in a tweet. "The ACFD and @PFPAOfficial are aware of an online digital media report concerning an explosion near the Pentagon. The Pentagon Reservation is NOT experiencing an explosion or other event, and there is no immediate threat to the public," according to the authorities.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public. pic.twitter.com/uznY0s7deL

— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) May 22, 2023

After forensics analysed the image, they discovered that the building frontage wasn't uniform, and two distinct fences appeared to mix in the photograph, which led many Twitter users to conclude that the image was artificially created. Multiple Twitter users also pointed out inconsistencies in the image which made it easier to tag it as fake.

The emergence of AI techniques has been used in the creation of false images and misleading content and in removing the need for people to have specialised knowledge of programmes like Photoshop. Now, even non-experts can quickly and easily produce powerful photos in a couple of minutes.

There have been numerous attempts to create deep fake videos and AI-generated images to either spread propaganda or dupe customers of money. This also raises a concern about fake paid Twitter verified accounts that can peddle misinformation like this.