AI-Manipulated Clip Showing Navika Kumar Clean Amit Shah’s Shoe Viral

AI-detection tool Deepfake-O-Meter concluded that the viral video had been created using AI.

Fact-Check: This video is created using AI and is not real, as claimed. 

(Source: The Quint) 

A video purpotedly showing Times Network Group's Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar cleaning Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s shoes is being circulated online as a real instance.

• Users sharing the clip criticised the state of journalism and media in India.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as this video has been created using artificial intelligence (AI) and is not real, as claimed.

What we found: At first, we divided the viral video into multiple screenshots and ran a Google reverse image search on some of them.

• It led us to a post by Kumar on her official X page from 3 November. It showed images similar to the frames of the viral video.

• Kumar noted, "On the campaign trail in Mithilanchal. Crowds. Chants. Conviction. The energy on the ground tells its own story. No script needed — just the pulse of the people." (sic.)

Here is the preview of the image. 

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot) 

• In this image, Kumar cannot be seen cleaning Shah's shoe using a cloth, as shown in the viral video.

Anomalies in the viral video: We slowed down the viral video and noticed that Shah's face in some frames looked different.

• In the first instance, his glasses seem to be missing or unclear in the frame when he is looking down.

• In the second instance, his face looks different and shrunken as opposed to the other frames in the viral clip.

Here are some anomalies in the viral video.

(Source: Altered by The Quint) 

• Such anomalies are often spotted in videos created using AI. Hence, we ran the viral clip on AI-detection tool Deepfake-O-Meter which concluded that the viral video was created using AI.

Here are the results by Deepfake-O-Meter.

Here are the results by Deepfake-O-Meter.

• The reverse image search results also led us to a verified X page of one '‎Chirag Patel,' who had also posted this viral video of Kumar.

• Social media platform X deemed this video as 'manipulated,' and made a note of it.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

• We went through this user's profile and found similar videos where visuals of politicians and news anchors have been tweaked.

Here is a preview of the post. 

Here is a preview of the post. 

Team WebQoof fact-checked a similar AI-manipulated visual showing journalist Amish Devgan touching Shah's feet. You can read the story here.

Conclusion: An AI-manipulated clip showing Kumar cleaning Home Minister Shah's shoe has gone viral on social media.

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