AI-Generated Image Shared as a Real Image of Julian Assange
The Claim
A recently leaked photo shows Julian Assange.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users recently widely shared a photo that purportedly was recently leaked and shows Julian Assange.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be fake. The image is AI-generated.
An AI-Generated Image of Julian Assange
Misbar’s team noticed that the photo in question bears a watermark with the words "Photo Property of E," indicating that the creator of the image is "The Errant Friend" or "E" on the internet. "The Errant Friend" was indeed the first account that shared the image, which can be seen below.
In an interview with the German media outlet Bild, the creator of the photo, "The Errant Friend," said that he used a program called MidJourney to design the image, which is intended to evoke a visceral response and accurately represent what the public could not otherwise bear witness to.
In the interview, "The Errant Friend," has stated that he felt it was important to give Julian's plight a more human face, the face the Intelligence Community has worked overtime to erase. This statement raises important questions about the role of AI technology in shaping public opinion and the ethics of using AI to manipulate images for political purposes.
The Ethics of AI-Generated Images in Politics
The use of AI technology to manipulate images for political purposes raises ethical concerns about the power of technology to shape public opinion. The use of AI-generated images can be seen as a tool to manipulate public perception and potentially influence political outcomes. The potential for AI-generated images to be used in misleading and malicious ways is concerning, particularly in contexts where they can be used to sway public opinion on contentious issues. For example, after the Turkey-Syria earthquake, an AI-generated image was used to scam people.
Who is Julian Assange?
Julian Assange is an Australian journalist, activist, editor, and publisher who is best known as the founder of WikiLeaks. In 2006, Assange founded WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to the publication of secret and classified information from anonymous sources. The organization quickly gained international attention for its high-profile leaks, including the release of classified military documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange became a controversial figure, with some viewing him as a champion of free speech and transparency, while others viewed him as a threat to national security. The U.S. government, in particular, was highly critical of Assange and his organization.
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