Some of the recent images have been driven by this month’s release of a new version of Midjourney’s text-to-image synthesis model, which can, among other things, now produce convincing images mimicking the style of news agency photos. WATCH: Security expert warns of AI tools’ potential threat to democracy They can quickly generate realistic images - complete with detailed backgrounds - on a mass scale with little more than a simple text prompt from users. While the ability to manipulate photos and create fake images isn’t new, AI image generator tools by Midjourney, DALL-E and others are easier to use. “You start to lose trust in the system and the information that you are getting.” It also increases the cynicism level,” said Jevin West, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle who focuses on the spread of misinformation. Misinformation experts warn the images are harbingers of a new reality: waves of fake photos and videos flooding social media after major news events and further muddying fact and fiction at crucial times for society.

The images - and scores of variations littering social media - were produced using increasingly sophisticated and widely accessible image generators powered by artificial intelligence. The highly detailed, sensational images have inundated Twitter and other platforms in recent days, amid news that Trump faces possible criminal charges and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin.īut neither visual is remotely real. Russian President Vladimir Putin in prison grays behind the bars of a dimly lit concrete cell. NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Donald Trump getting gang-tackled by riot-gear-clad New York City police officers.

Imagline