2023-05-23 01:32:44
A fake image of an explosion at the Pentagon briefly circulated on social media, causing the stock market to plunge for a few minutes before the US Department of Defense denied its authenticity.
This image, which a number of observers suggested was the result of generative artificial intelligence, once once more shed light on the many problems that this advanced technology might cause to society.
This image was circulated by many accounts on social media, forcing the Pentagon to issue an official denial of its authenticity, stressing that no explosion occurred in its vicinity.
“We can confirm that this is false news, and that the Pentagon was not attacked today,” a spokesperson for the US Department of Defense said.
In turn, the fire department in Arlington, Virginia, denied the authenticity of the photo, as it confirmed on social media that no explosion or accident occurred inside or near the Pentagon.
This fake photo came following other similar photos that were widely circulated on the Internet, including photos showing police officers arresting former President Donald Trump and another showing Pope Francis wearing a loose white coat.
With regard to the fake photo of the Pentagon explosion, an investigation conducted by AFP showed that the first tweet it posted belonged to an account promoting “Q Anon” that had previously published misleading information, although the original source of the photo was not immediately clear.
Thanks to the techniques of generative artificial intelligence, non-specialists can now create fake, but highly convincing, images within moments, following this task required high expertise and specialized programs such as Photoshop.
The fake image of the explosion led to declines in the stock market for a few minutes, as the S&P 500 index lost more than a quarter of a percentage point compared to the price it closed on Friday, before returning and recovering.
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