Media Outlets Share AI-Generated Image as a Real Explosion Near USA's Pentagon

This is not real but an AI-generated image of an explosion near the Pentagon.

Several media outlets like Times Now Navbharat, Zee News, News18 Madhya Pradesh and First India News shared a claim about an explosion near the Pentagon, the United States Department of Defense headquarters in Washington, USA.

Most also shared an image of an explosion near a white-coloured building.

Republic TV had also aired this viral image with the same claim however, it later issued a correction about the same. Meanwhile, Times Now Navbharat and Zee News deleted their reports.

(Archives of similar claims shared by users with Twitter blue accounts can be seen here, here, here and here.)

Is this image real?: This is an image created by artificial intelligence.

• No recent reports about any kind of explosion near the Pentagon were found.

How did we find out the truth?: We noticed several discrepancies in the viral image including the fence, barriers and street lamp outside the building.

• We found no credible reports about any explosion near the Pentagon.

• By performing a relevant keyword search, we also came across a tweet by the verified account of the Fire Department of Arlington County, Virginia, dismissing the viral claims.

• The tweet made on 22 May read that there is no explosion at or near the Pentagon reservation with no immediate danger to the public.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. 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. pic.twitter.com/uznY0s7deL

— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) May 22, 2023

• We also compared the building seen in the viral image with the Pentagon building and were unable to find any similarities.

• The structure of both the buildings including the entrance, corners and fences are different.

Conclusion: An AI-generated image of an explosion near the Pentagon goes viral as real.

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