AI Clips & Unrelated Images Shared as Recent Visuals of Cyclone in Sri Lanka

While the video was AI-generated, the image is old and is actually from Hyderabad.

Fact-Check | While the video is AI-generated, the image is actually from Hyderabad and not Sri Lanka.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video, which shows an elephant rescuing a leopard, along with a photo of an under-constructed bridge submerged in water are going viral on social media platforms as recent visuals from Sri Lanka.

• The clip was shared with a caption that said, "This is Heartbreaking to see. #FloodSL #FloodSriLanka."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

The post on X had clocked over four lakh views on the platform. More archives of similar claims could be accessed here, here, and here.

The image's caption said, "BREAKING: Death toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka rises to 132, with 176 still missing. President declares state of emergency as nearly half a million people affected. India, US & Maldives rush humanitarian aid."

You can view an archive of the post here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

What are the facts?: The video has been generated using the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and does not show real visuals.

• The image of the under-constructed bridge dates back to September and is actually from Hyderabad.

What about the video?: We noticed that the leopard's body appeared to disappear for a brief moment when the wild cat was seen readjusting on top of the elephant.

• Secondly, the texture of the water appeared too smooth. This is a trait that is commonly spotted in AI-generated visuals.

The video had multiple anomalies. 

(Source: Viral video/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)

What did detection tools show?: Team WebQoof passed the video through two AI detection tools namely — 'Hive Moderation' and 'DeepFake-O-Meter' to further verify the authenticity.

• While the first tool showed around 89 percent probability, one detector of the second tool showed about 100 percent chance of the video being an AI-generated one.

• Swipe right to view all screenshots.

It showed around 89 percent probability of the video being an AI one.

(Source: DeepFake-O-Meter/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)

About the viral image?: On conducting a reverse image search on the viral photo, we found a video uploaded on the official X handle of media outlet Deccan Chronicle.

• It was shared on 27 September with a caption saying, "#Hyderabad | Heavy rains raise Musi river levels. Authorities begin evacuation from low lying areas."

Conclusion: It is evident that the visuals are being incorrectly shared as from Sri Lanka.

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