Fake AI Content About the Iran War Is Rampant on X

Fake, fake, fake.

Ever since U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran

began on February 28th,

X has been flooded with disinformation about the war

from accounts sharing fake and repurposed videos.

Disinformation experts tell WIRED

that things are worse than ever

with Grok now repeatedly giving false information,

making the platform even more unhinged from reality.

AI images have been shared

by paid accounts bearing blue check marks

and by Iranian officials

portraying exaggerated scenes of damage,

including an AI-generated video of high-rise buildings

in Bahrain on fire.

An image of a U.S. B-2 bomber shot down by Iran

was viewed a million times before being deleted,

while an image of Delta force members being captured

was seen 5 million times.

Disinformation expert Tal Hagin tells WIRED

that a particularly unique feature of the war

has been a drastic increase

in the amount of AI generated content he's debunking.

Hagin says, I see the proliferation of AI-based fake news

pushing us over the edge of a fact-based world

unless we enact change now.

While X has announced

it would temporarily demonetize blue check mark accounts

if they post AI-generated videos of armed conflict

without a label,

non-AI disinformation is also flourishing.

MAGA accounts have reused footage from elsewhere

to push President Donald Trump's narrative

that the Iranian government fired a missile

that struck an elementary school in Minab,

killing around 170 people,

including 110 children.

X's reward program incentivizes sensational content.

Today's AI tools make it easy to produce such content.

The result?

Especially during breaking news situations,

like the conflict in Iran,

is a complete breakdown of reality

where it's getting almost impossible

to know what's real and what's not.