AI-created images depicted as flotilla departing for Gaza are falsified
The Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy aiming to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, set sail from Barcelona on September 1st with the participation of 44 countries. However, two images of the flotilla, showing boats flying Palestinian flags, have been circulating on social media, and concerns have been raised about their authenticity.
These images, which feature boats with identical flags and a smooth water surface, have been detected as artificial by two AI content detection tools, Proyecto Iveres (with a 93.64% chance of being fake) and SightEngine (with a 99% probability of being generated with AI). Decopy AI also detects a 100% chance that one of the images was created with AI due to its precisely geometric formation.
One flag error in the images involves the vessel at the forefront showing five stripes instead of the correct three stripes. Another flag error is visible in one of the images, where only one black and one white stripe are visible, with the red triangle disappearing.
These flag errors, along with the illegible letters on the bow of the boats and the lack of natural randomness in the water surface, are typical of AI-generated content.
It is worth noting that the photograph of an Israeli soldier killed, which was previously mentioned, has also been edited with AI. This photograph is not being circulated in media outlets, agencies, or official organizations, and it is not present on the social media platforms of the humanitarian organization that initiated the flotilla, Global Sumud Flotilla.
The Israeli government has threatened to treat members of the Global Sumud Flotilla as "terrorists", according to Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. A warning has been issued on the Verificaour website about other artificially altered content related to the Gaza war, such as a video of Israeli attacks and destruction in the Strip being non-real.
Despite these concerns, the Global Sumud Flotilla continues its mission, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and to promote peace and solidarity. The specific names of the 43 other countries participating in the flotilla, aside from Spain and Sweden, have not been disclosed in the available sources.
