AI-Generated Image of a Man Cycling Falsely Shared as Ratan Tata in His ‘Youth’

AI-detection tools concluded that this image is not real.

Fact-check: An AI-generated image is going viral to claim that it shows the younger version of Ratan Tata.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Altered by The Quint)

A photo showing a man riding a bicycle is going viral to claim that it shows late industrialist Ratan Tata on his way to work in his youth.

This photo went viral on the internet shortly after his demise on 9 October in Mumbai.

Who shared this?: Along with social media users, blogs and news websites like News18 Hindi, India Times, MensXP and Satyaagrah also shared this image as a real one.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

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

What's the truth?: This image is not real.

• AI-detection tools found that this image has been created using Artificial Intelligence.

How did we find out the truth?: We performed a reverse image search on the viral image on Google but it did not return any credible results or source of the image.

• We also checked Tata's official Instagram account where he had previously shared pictures from his younger days but none of the posts included this image.

• We then noticed the image carefully and it showed slightly blurred faces of the people in the background and the image was smooth, like an AI-generated image.

AI-detection tools: Hive Moderation concluded that this image is 98.4 percent AI-generated.

Hive Moderation was certain that the image was AI-generated.

(Source: Hive/Screenshot)

TrueMedia's AI analysis tool said that there was "substantial evidence of manipulation" in the image and said that it detected the use of generative AI tools.

TrueMedia found "substantial evidence" of manipulation.

(Source: TM/Screenshot)

It also showed 61 percent confidence about this image being created on MidJourney.

It suggested that the image may have been created using MidJourney.

(Source: TM/Screenshot)

Conclusion: An AI-generated image is going viral to claim that it shows the younger version of Ratan Tata.

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