A photo is being shared online with the false claim that it shows Ram Prakash, an official from the Indian High Commission to the United Kingdom (UK), attending a protest in the country over issues related to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
BOOM found the claim with the photo to be false. A test on OpenAI's image detection tool confirmed that the picture was modified using OpenAI tools.
A recent BBC report states that dozens of people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters across Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past two months. According to the report, the demonstrations are being led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which says it is protesting for rights including access to healthcare and affordable electricity. The report further adds that the Pakistan government banned the JAAC in June and designated the group as a foreign-funded terrorist organisation.
The Claim
The photo was shared with a caption, "Indian High Commission official Shri Ram Prakash, based in London, was seen formally participating in a protest organized by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC)."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Viral Photo Was Fabricated Using AI
1. The Original Source: We ran a related keyword search and traced the original visual to a post shared by Pakistani media outlet GEO News' UK Bureau Chief, Murtaza Ali Shah, on August 2, 2024. The post featured a video of a demonstration in Luton, UK, where a large number of British Kashmiris marched to express concern over the ongoing situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where the JAAC had been leading a prolonged protest.
Click here to view an archive of the post.
At the 1:23 mark of the video shared by the Pakistani journalist, we found the same scene featured in the viral image. However, the individual seen in the viral photo does not appear in the original footage. Instead, the video shows a different person participating in the protest.
2. Photo Was Altered Using Open AI: To further verify the image, we analysed it using multiple AI detection tools, including OpenAI's image detection tool. The analysis detected provenance signals associated with OpenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, the OpenAI API, or Codex. These signals indicate that the image was created or modified using OpenAI's AI tools.