Fact Check: Image of Kerala train decorated for Onam is AI-generated
The image has been generated using the AI tool Midjourney.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 28 Aug 2023 5:43 PM IST
Screengrab of the Twitter post.
Hyderabad: An image showing a railway line decorated with brightly-coloured flowers and a train on the track painted with floral patterns is doing rounds on social media amid the Onam celebrations in Kerala.
An X user shared the image and wrote, āThis is a picture of a railway station in Kerala specially decorated for Onam. The flowers near the tracks are real and have been planted specially for the occasion. Onam being celebrated from 20 August to 2 September. (sic)ā
(Image Credit: X/@harshagujaratan)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the image has been generated using the AI tool Midjourney.
On performing a reverse image search, we found it posted by a Facebook user Aneesh Chakkottil on July 29. In the caption, he wrote the train is an Onam special Vande Bharat Express from Kasaragod to Trivandrum. However, responding to comments, he replied saying that the image was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
We reached out to Chakkottil and he confirmed that the image was generated using the AI tool Midjourney and Photoshop. He said, āI would like to see my countryās development as it is visualised in the image.ā Chakkottil is from Kerala and is currently based in the UAE. He runs an Ad agency called Copper and Black Advertising.
We also came across a clarification by the divisional railway manager of Thiruvananthapuram from the departmentās official X account. It read, āFake news alert! An edited picture of a colourful train is circulating in social media with a claim that is from a railway station in Kerala. The claim is false. The train in the image is from Kyoto, Japan. Do not fall for fake news!ā
We ran a keyword search and found that painted trains are common in Japan.
Hence, we conclude that the image is not from Kerala. The claim is false.
