AI Fake Image Of Trump And Girl Debunked
Viral Trump Image Debunked as AI Fake
An image that appears to show Donald Trump in his fifties with a young teenage girl is being shared online, but it is not real. The picture has been circulating in the UK on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and includes overlaid text stating: "Photo of Donald Trump at Epsteins private island Dancing with a 13 year old girl. Trump was in his 50s when this was taken. what kind of man does that".
The Epstein Narrative and AI Misinformation
This particular image has been online for several years and is one of a number of similar fakes of previously debunked AI images involving President Trump. These fakes often falsely depict him with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Fact Checkers Confirm Image is Not Genuine
As Full Fact and other fact checking groups and news organizations have previously confirmed, this picture is not genuine and does not show a real event on Epsteins private island.
Hallmarks of an AI Generated Image
The image exhibits characteristics of being created by artificial intelligence (AI), with noticeable errors in the depiction of body parts of the people in the picture. These include the girls right forearm, which is unnaturally elongated, and her thumb (which can be seen as her hand disappears into President Trumps armpit), which is distorted and lacking detail. As our guide to spotting AI generated images explains, AI often makes mistakes when generating hands. The hand of the man in the background on the left of the picture is also distorted and appears to have six fingers.
Experts Weigh In on Digital Forgery
Professor Hany Farid of the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in digital forensics, misinformation, and image analysis, and is Chief Science Officer at GetReal Labs, a cybersecurity company focused on preventing malicious threats from generative AI, told the Associated Press (AP) that there is evidence that the image is an AI generated fake. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Mr Trumps 2024 presidential campaign, also confirmed to AP in 2023 that the image was not real.
Distinguishing Fact from AI Fiction
While this particular image is faked, it is important to acknowledge that there are real photographs and video footage showing the two men together from various occasions.
Stay Vigilant How to Spot AI Fakes
It is important to consider whether content that you see on social media could have been created digitally or manipulated with AI before sharing. Our guide on spotting AI generated images can help you do this.
