Media falls prey to AI-generated image showing explosion near Pentagon

Hyderabad: An image showing a massive cloud of smoke near a building has gone viral on social media. Several Twitter Blue accounts shared the image claiming it shows an explosion near the Pentagon building in the US. (Click here, here, and here to view the posts.)

Indian media outlets such as Times Now Navbharat, Zee News, News18 Madhya Pradesh, and First India News also claimed there was an explosion near the Pentagon, the United States Department of Defense headquarters in Washington, USA.

Republic TV, after airing the viral image, issued a clarification that they have deleted the post and “pulled back the newsbreak” about the explosion near Pentagon.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the viral image could be AI-generated and the claim of an explosion near the Pentagon is false.

We ran a keyword search and found no credible reports about any explosion near the Pentagon.

In the viral photo, we noticed the hallmarks of an AI-generated image. The columns of the building vary in size, and the fencing appears non-uniform.

We also found a tweet by the verified account of the Fire Department of Arlington County, Virginia, refuting the viral claim. The tweet, from 22 May, said there were no explosions “at or near the Pentagon reservation” and that there was no immediate danger to the public.

Hence, we conclude that the viral image is a hoax and the claim of an explosion near the Pentagon is false.