Washington, D.C. – Social media platforms are once again grappling with the spread of AI-generated disinformation, after researchers revealed that manipulated images falsely associating prominent U.S. politicians with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have gone viral.
False Associations Spread Online
Disinformation watchdog NewsGuard reported Tuesday that at least seven AI-created images collectively garnered more than 21 million views on X, the platform owned by Elon Musk. The images attempted to link figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley to Epstein.
Neither Mamdani nor Haley appear in the Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein files – a cache of more than three million documents, photos, and videos related to the financier’s crimes.
Mamdani Targeted with AI Fabrications
Three images circulated by conservative social media users purported to show Epstein posing with Mamdani as a child. Two also depicted his mother, award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair.
NewsGuard confirmed the images were AI-generated fakes, citing analysis with Google’s AI tool Gemini, which detected SynthID, an invisible watermark used to identify AI content.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones amplified one of the images in a post that drew more than 1.5 million views, claiming Musk’s AI chatbot Grok had verified its authenticity. Researchers warn this highlights the unreliability of AI chatbots as fact-checking tools.
Fabricated Email Targeting Nikki Haley
Another piece of online fakery involved a screenshot of a supposed email from Haley to Epstein, asking him to arrange a flight while she cared for her children.
However, a search of the Justice Department’s files found no record of such an email, and the screenshot contained clear errors including a date mismatch showing January 7, 2014 as a Saturday, when it was in fact a Tuesday.
Haley has not commented on the fabricated email but previously urged the Trump administration to release the Epstein files “and let the chips fall where they may.”
Global Spread of AI Fakery
The disinformation campaign has extended beyond U.S. borders:
- In Latin America, users shared a doctored image showing Epstein seated next to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at a U.S. horse show in 2002. Reverse-image searches revealed the photo was altered from one showing Epstein with a billionaire businessman.
- In Canada, social media images last year falsely depicted Mark Carney, candidate for Liberal Party leadership, with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. AFP fact-checkers confirmed the images bore strong indicators of AI manipulation.
Conclusion
The latest wave of AI-driven disinformation underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing fact from fiction online. With manipulated images spreading rapidly and garnering millions of views, experts warn that platforms must move beyond reactive takedown processes to embed safeguards against AI fakery at the product level.
