Viral Photo Claiming To Show Putin Reading Bhagavad Gita Aboard Plane Is AI-Generated

Claim

A photo allegedly showing Russian President Vladimir Putin inside an aircraft, reading a copy of the Bhagavad Gita gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to India, is going viral on social media. Users claim the photo was taken aboard Putin’s aircraft while returning to Russia.

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Fact

A reverse image search yielded no credible news reports or official sources from the Russian government carrying the alleged photo of President Putin holding Bhagavat Gita.

Further, the overall extra smooth texture of the image as well as blurred background indicated that the media was AI-generated. 

Newschecker then checked the viral image on AI detection tool Hive Moderation, which found a 99.9% likelihood of the photo containing AI-generated or deepfake content. Similarly, Sightengine also concluded a 99% probability of the viral image being AI-generated.

The Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Trusted Information Alliance (TIA), which also includes Newschecker, analysed the image on AI or Not website which found it to be likely a deepfake. They also checked the media on website Image Whisperer, which revealed it to be AI-generated. 

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Hence, we could conclude that the viral image showing Russian President Putin reading the Bhagavad Gita aboard an aircraft is AI-generated. 

Sources
Hive Moderation Website
Sightengine Website
DAU Analysis