This article is part of The Globe’s initiative to cover dis- and misinformation. Email us to share tips or feedback at disinfodesk@globeandmail.com.
Background & context
An AI-generated video of a city in flames at night was edited onto real footage of an Israeli strike on Beirut. The misleading video has received millions of views on X and also being shared on Facebook.
AI-generated clip came from TikTok
What appears to be the original AI-generated video was posted to TikTok on Oct. 1 where the five-second clip has more than 10-million views and 400,000 likes. The video is labelled as AI-generated in its description but not on the video itself. We aren’t directly linking to posts in this story so they are not amplified.
Screenshot of the AI-generated video posted to TIkTok claiming to be of Beirut.TikTok
The video does have signs of being AI-generated, including flames behaving unrealistically and vehicles blending with other objects and is missing natural sound.
Annotated sections of the video posted to TikTok claiming to be of Beirut slowed down and zoomed in to show areas of distortion that are indicators of being generated by AI.
TikTok/The Globe and Mail
AI video edited onto real footage
The AI clip from TikTok was edited onto genuine video from Beirut in an apparent attempt to make it appear more authentic.
Combination image of two screenshots of a post on X showing an AI-generated video (left) edited onto genuine footage of an Israeli strike in Beirut.X
The genuine footage is included in a report by the Associated Press from Oct. 5. The footage of the blast has been zoomed into significantly in the misleading edit.
Excerpt of a video published by the Associated Press on Oct. 5 of an explosion which has been added onto an AI-generated video.
The Associated Press
Conclusion
AI video generators are able to create highly realistic content that is becoming harder to detect. The way objects interact or block each other can cause distortions that are a clue to something being AI-made. This tell-tale sign is becoming harder to spot, such as in examples shared last week by Meta.
AI-generated video has come a long way. Can you spot the difference between real and fake?