AI image pushes Bondi Beach attack conspiracy
By George Driver in Christchurch
WHAT WAS CLAIMED : A photo shows a man having fake blood applied to him before the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
OUR VERDICT : False. The image has been created using artificial intelligence.
CONTENT WARNING: THE FOLLOWING DEBUNK FEATURES IMAGES SOME MAY FIND DISTRESSING.
An image purporting to show a man having fake blood applied by a make-up artist before the Bondi Beach attack was created using artificial intelligence (AI).
The generated image has been shared widely on social media and is claimed to show Arsen Ostrovsky, who was interviewed bandaged and bloodied soon after the attack.
His head was grazed by a bullet in the shooting and he gave several TV news interviews at the scene.
“I got hit in the head,” Mr Ostrovsky told 9 News. “I’m bleeding, I’ve lost blood, there are people around me that are far worse.”
A selfie Mr Ostrovsky took soon after being shot has been published widely, including by the NY Post.
However, social media users are sharing a fake image that they claim is evidence that Mr Ostrovsky was a “crisis actor” and that the attack was staged.
The image supposedly shows Mr Ostrovsky having make-up applied while surrounded by a film crew.
“Looks like Bondi was a staged Attack all fake so the Fraudulent Australian Government Corporation to push through more gun control and Dictor Legislation [sic],” one post reads.
“Bondi was a staged event by the Government, Police and MSM. Crises actors all of them.
“Here is Arsen Ostrovsky. A crisis Actor getting his Make-up on prior to the staged event. He also survived the Oct 7 attack in Israel.”
Another post sharing the image states: “Ppl are being betrayed & deceived”.
However, the image exhibits hallmarks of AI generation.
AAP FactCheck has previously explained that AI-generated images often include garbled text and distorted hands and limbs.
Mr Ostrovsky is clearly wearing a t-shirt that includes the text “United States” and “Marines”, along with the Marine Corps logo featuring an eagle atop a globe with an anchor, when he was interviewed by Nine News at the scene.
The text is also partly legible in a selfie he took.
In the fake image, however, the text on his t-shirt is illegible and the logo is different.
A bloodstain also appears on the left side of his neckline, but it’s not visible in authentic TV footage.
Two background vehicles also appear to merge together.
Multiple people in the image have distorted hands. The makeup artist’s right hand appears to have an extra finger, while her left hand is misshapen.
The left lens on the sunglasses atop her head also appears to be warped.
The camera operator on the far right in the background appears to have no left hand and to be wearing an abnormally large watch.
The right hand of the man in the centre is an amorphous blob.
The hands and feet of the other crew members are also distorted and malformed.
Google’s ‘About this image’ tool identifies the image as being ‘Made with Google AI’, likely because it contains a SynthID watermark.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
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