A deepfake of an explosion near the Pentagon spreads on Twitter

Dozens of verified Twitter accounts with large followings spread a fake about an explosion near the Pentagon, publishing a generated image. This was reported by Vice.

Accounts such as WarMonitors, BloombergFeed and RT published a photo showing a large cloud of smoke rising near a government building. The captions accompanying the posts claimed that an explosion had occurred near the Pentagon.

Bellingcat journalist Nick Waters found several signs indicating the photo had been faked. Among them is the melding of the fence and a mobile barrier designed to fence off the crowd.

Confident that this picture claiming to show an «explosion near the pentagon» is AI generated.

Check out the frontage of the building, and the way the fence melds into the crowd barriers. There’s also no other images, videos or people posting as first hand witnesses. pic.twitter.com/t1YKQabuNL

— Nick Waters (@N_Waters89) May 22, 2023

Waters also noted that there were no other photos or videos online.

After the debunking of the fabrication, some accounts apologised or removed the image. The platform’s management also suspended BloombergFeed’s account, which had continued to spread the misinformation.

In response to the news, stock markets briefly fell.

Government officials had to intervene. The official account of the Arlington Fire Department refuted the rumours of explosions.

«There are no explosions or incidents on the Pentagon grounds or nearby; there is no immediate danger to the public», the statement says.

@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

The spread of misinformation through million-follower accounts with blue checkmarks raised concerns among experts. In their words, the ability to acquire a verification badge could amplify the reach of misinformation campaigns.

This is not the first time fakes have circulated from blue-check accounts. In early May, several verified accounts falsely reported an impending nuclear strike by Russia on the capital of Ukraine.

Earlier, realistic images of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket and of the arrest of former US President Donald Trump circulated online. At the time, many users believed the authenticity of the photo.

As noted, Binance said in May that ChatGPT became a tool in a campaign to discredit its head Changpeng Zhao.

In January, scientists urged the world community to regulate deepfakes.