An image showing Algerian boxer Imane Khelif looking like a man is being shared on social media. People addressed Khelif as a "he" while sharing this image.
What did the posts say?: Users wrote, "This is the Aligerian Boxer Imane Khelif who won Gold in Olympics. He thanked Allah for his victory over a woman. Sorry Angela Carini, the world failed you!"
Who shared it?: X pages such as @ArunPudur and @MumbaichaDon (BhikuMhatre) shared the claim.
An archive of the post can be found here.
(Source: X/Screenshot)
What we found: At first, we notice some errors in the image such as a man with a deformed face in the background, man on the left with a loose hand, hand that emerges on the right seems to have a huge and out of place nail. The latter is holding a ticket where the writing is completely illegible.
These are telltale signs of an AI-generated image.
Here are the faults in his image.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
We also notice physical differences in the body structures of the viral image and Khelif's image from the Paris Olympics.
The knee structure in the viral image is more defined and muscular than her image from the Olympics.
Here are the differences between the two.
(Source: The Quint)
We also ran a Google reverse image search on the viral photo and came across the same image on X on a page called 'Midjourney Prompts' from 24 August.
Midjourney is a generative artificial intelligence program and service.
We, then, ran the image on AI-detection websites such as TrueMedia, Hugging Face and Hive Moderation.
TrueMedia: The tool revealed that there was 'substantial' evidence of manipulation.
Report as presented by TrueMedia.
(Source: TrueMedia/Screenshot)
HuggingFace concluded that the image was 70% made using AI.
Results by HuggingFace.
(Source: HuggingFace/Screenshot)
Lastly, Hive Moderation concluded that the image was likely AI with a 50% probability.
Report as presented by Hive Moderation.
(Source: Hive Moderation/Screenshot)
On 1 August, Khelif emerged victorious over Italy's Angela Carini in an initial match for the Paris Olympics.
Soon after, Author JK Rowling and businessman Elon Musk, among other notable figures, supported allegations that she was a "biological male" or a "transgender woman" competing in the women's division. We debunked this claim about Khelif, as well. Read the story here.
Conclusion: The image is made using AI and is being falsely shared to defame Khelif yet again.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)