Old and AI-generated videos are fueling misinformation about the Iran strikes
Footage from China in 2015, missile strikes in 2024 and AI-made clips are being falsely tied to the current conflict
Fake and outdated videos and images are circulating on social media misrepresenting the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s counterattacks.
At least 500 people have been killed in Iran and deaths have also been reported in Lebanon, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. Four American servicemembers have also been killed in combat.
But some trending images are not accurate depictions of the conflict.
Related Knowledge Center: Information integrity
In an increasingly fractured media landscape, truth has been a casualty in the public discussion. Coverage has been warped by the business needs of struggling news organizations, and a significant segment of the public relies on bad-faith outlets that are little more than propagandists. While fact-checking has become routine, some organizations are exploring other ways to combat the trends. And misinformation spewed by AI-driven chatbots has become more of a feature than simply a bug.
Fact-checking and its detractors
Related Knowledge Center: Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.