An apparently AI-generated image going viral on social media of an alleged explosion near the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. is a fake.

But that didn’t stop it from being spread by dozens of accounts on social media — and the stock market briefly dipped as the fake news spread.

Early Monday, a single image showing a massive cloud of smoke near a building started circulating on Twitter, along with claims that there had been an explosion near the Pentagon.

But that report was fake, the Arlington PD said.

“There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public,” Arlington PD tweeted Monday.

While it hasn’t been confirmed that the image was made using AI tools, the image has some of the hallmarks of AI-generated images. The columns on the supposed building in the hoax photo are different sizes and the fence appears to blend into the sidewalk in some places.

The photo was spread by dozens of accounts, including RT, a Russian state-media Twitter account with over 3 million followers, but the post has since been deleted. Other accounts appear to be affiliated with conspiracy theories or the war in Ukraine.

source insider.com