Viral Image of Elderly Couple in French Riots Deemed AI-Generated
The image, which depicted an elderly couple allegedly attacked during recent French unrest, has been identified with visual inconsistencies and AI watermarks.
A viral image purporting to show an elderly couple stripped and surrounded by rioters in France has been identified as potentially created or edited using artificial intelligence. The photograph, which gained significant traction on social media platform X, showed two elderly individuals in their underwear amidst a group of men.
Multiple police unions shared the image as the country experienced widespread riots. However, close examination revealed several anomalies: two figures appeared to share a single pair of legs, the woman's hand seemed to be missing a finger, and some faces in the background appeared merged. Further analysis using Google's SynthID Detector indicated the image was AI-generated, a finding supported by reports from French media.
Specialized software detected an invisible watermark on the image, a feature used by generative AI tools to identify their output. Variants of the image were linked to both Google Gemini and OpenAI's AI technologies, with both instances showing the SynthID watermark. Major AI firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, participate in Google's service to help identify AI-generated content.
While the image circulated, French media reported on an unconfirmed incident involving an 80-year-old couple allegedly robbed and left nearly naked at Place de la République in Paris. Parisian police have not yet confirmed this specific event.
The riots and protests have occurred against a backdrop of political tension. President Emmanuel Macron reportedly turned down his interior minister's offer of resignation, instead tasking him with ending the unrest and addressing intelligence failures. The demonstrations, which initially began as protests against declining public services and the cost of living, escalated into widespread vandalism and chaos in cities like Paris, Marseille, and Lyon.
France deployed 60,000 security forces over the weekend, but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledged this was insufficient to contain the violence in some areas. The events have added pressure to Macron's government, particularly as it navigates economic challenges and prepares to pass a budget bill.