There’s something you should know about Pink Panther from the French riots
Prepare to be disappointed.
Image by Cybernews. Source "introvert" on X
Follow us
- Viral Pink Panther images from France’s riots were flagged as AI-generated or edited.
- Cybernews confirmed the images were edited or made using Google’s AI.
- One manipulated image reused an older photo of police carrying a man before a football match.
- Similar AI fakes have used unrest in France and Hurricane Melissa to attract views online.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Social media users have taken a liking to the Pink Panther seen during the riots in France. So they won't be happy when they read this.
Images of someone dressed in a Pink Panther costume have popped up all over social media and have become symbolic of the riots going on in France.
However, the mischievous 60s cartoon character wasn’t actually a part of the latest riots in France, and the images you’ve seen aren’t real. They’re AI.
Journalists have checked the images with software like SynthID Detector, which flags invisible AI watermarks or signs in the photos' metadata indicating they were generated using AI.
When the images were run through AI image detectors, they were flagged as edited or generated using Google’s AI, according to the BBC.
Cybernews has confirmed that these images were edited or made entirely using Google’s AI.
As an extra layer of assurance, journalists also performed a reverse image search to see whether any of the images had been manipulated using AI.
One image, which shows Pink Panther being dragged through the streets by policemen, was found to be manipulated, as the original image showed a man being carried by police years prior to a football match, the BBC found.
AI used to generate views from tragic events
People often capitalize on significant events to generate views or engagement by creating AI-generated fake images.
This is the second time bad actors have used AI to exploit the chaos and mayhem happening in parts of France.
A couple of AI images began circulating across social media, which falsely showed a couple in their 80s being “stripped and robbed” during the riots.
Far-right accounts amplified the images, with some calling them “the most horrific image of October 17th” and others declaring that “France has fallen,” while warning that the UK and the rest of Europe could be next.
This also happened during a severe hurricane that hit Jamaica almost a year ago. TikTok users exploited OpenAI’s Sora to create fake videos of Hurricane Melissa for views.
