A YouTube video with an image of Javed Akhtar dressed in religious attire is viral with a false claim that the Bollywood lyricist has publicly accepted Islam and converted from atheism.
The post is viral after Akhtar’s recent public debate on the existence of God with Islamic scholar Mufti Shamail Nadwi. BOOM found that the image being cited as proof is likely AI-generated.
Screenwriter and poet Akhtar has publicly identified himself as an atheist, criticising the concept of religion.
The Claim: Photo shows Akhtar converting to Islam after debate with Mufti Shamail Nadwi
The viral video was posted on Facebook and YouTube by the channel @Primeadda1 with text in Hindi that translates to, "Javed Akhtar accepted Allah." It shows an anchor discussing about Akhtar's conversion.
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What We Found:
1) AI Detection Tool Result:
We tested the viral photo using the DeepFake-O-Meter tool by the University at Buffalo Media Forensics Lab. One of the results showed a 97.42 percent probability that the image is AI-generated, indicating that the photo has been digitally manipulated and is not authentic.
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2) Akhtar dismisses fake claim
Akhtar took to social media to call out the viral claim, “A fake video is in circulation showing my fake computer generated picture with a topi on my head claiming that ultimately I have turned to God . It is rubbish…”