Iranian authorities have resorted to deepfakes, or AI-generated images and videos, to downplay the severity of the human rights abuses suffered by protesters during a wave of demonstrations that began on January 8.
In recent weeks, Iranian state-controlled media outlets have been spreading false claims that some photos taken at the Kahrizak morgue in Tehran were created using artificial intelligence - an attempt to discredit the real atrocities committed against demonstrators.
One such instance is the Fars News Agency's distribution of two images posted on January 19. The first image shows a moving scene, with a young woman standing among hundreds of bodies laid out in the Kahrizak morgue's courtyard.
The second image focuses more closely on the woman in mourning. However, while the AI-generated image includes this detail, it was actually authentic - sourced from the Telegram account of an Iranian blogger.
Researchers at FRANCE 24 used a technique called image analysis to examine the authenticity of these images and verify that they were taken at the morgue. They have verified the authenticity of several videos filmed in the same courtyard where the woman is standing in the AI-generated image.
In recent weeks, Iranian state-controlled media outlets have been spreading false claims that some photos taken at the Kahrizak morgue in Tehran were created using artificial intelligence - an attempt to discredit the real atrocities committed against demonstrators.
One such instance is the Fars News Agency's distribution of two images posted on January 19. The first image shows a moving scene, with a young woman standing among hundreds of bodies laid out in the Kahrizak morgue's courtyard.
The second image focuses more closely on the woman in mourning. However, while the AI-generated image includes this detail, it was actually authentic - sourced from the Telegram account of an Iranian blogger.
Researchers at FRANCE 24 used a technique called image analysis to examine the authenticity of these images and verify that they were taken at the morgue. They have verified the authenticity of several videos filmed in the same courtyard where the woman is standing in the AI-generated image.
. its like, if you want to hide the truth, just be honest about it instead of creating fake evidence! and btw, how did they even get away with this? ai tech is getting so advanced but still not perfect, i'm surprised they got caught so quickly 
. The Iranian government's attempt to discredit protesters and downplay human rights abuses is not only misleading but also undermines trust in media outlets. One has to wonder, what other forms of AI-generated propaganda might be spread through state-controlled channels? It's a slippery slope when it comes to the line between fact and fiction.
These Iranian authorities are like masters of Photoshop, lol... Deepfakes to downplay human rights abuses? 
That's just sick! 
I'm all for transparency and truth, but manipulating pics and vids to hide the truth? Not cool 
Can't believe they're trying to discredit real atrocities with AI-generated fake images 
It's just this desperate attempt to control the narrative and hide the truth from their own people. And it's not like we haven't seen this before – propaganda is basically a national pastime in Iran right now. But honestly, can you blame them? The world is all about optics, and if they want to keep up appearances, they're gonna have to get creative with their lies. Meanwhile, the real victims are just left to suffer in silence... it's heartbreaking 
.
It's like they're trying to manipulate public opinion or something. Not cool, imo. Can we just stick to the facts, you know? 